Police use new order to clear area of intimidating youngsters

The order is scheduled to start on Friday and run for three months.

Under such orders, police officers and community support officers have powers to order people out of designated areas if they believe those individuals could go on to commit acts of anti-social behaviour.

Anyone ordered out of such an area is forbidden to return for 24 hours.

Officers also explain that anyone refusing to leave the area or not following the rules of the dispersal order could be arrested and face a maximum penalty of three months' imprisonment and/or a fine of 5,000.

Everyone aged under 16 is also banned from public spaces in the dispersal order zone from 9pm until 6am unless they are accompanied by a parent or a "responsible" adult who is aged over 18.

A monitoring group has already been formed of local residents who will meet monthly to assess the impact of the dispersal order.

Inspector Nik Adams, who leads West Yorkshire Police's neighbourhood team for Gipton and Harehills said: "This preventative measure allows us to stop anti-social behaviour before it starts.

"Members of the public, local businesses and visitors to the area have the right to enjoy this part of Leeds without being unduly affected or intimidated by groups of young people.

"The dispersal order gives us additional powers to prevent this from happening.

"Last year a dispersal order was put in place in the nearby Gipton area that led to a reduction of 16 per cent in calls reporting anti-social behaviour."

The dispersal order will cover the area of Harehills Lane, Coldcotes Avenue, Harehills Park Terrace, Foundry Approach, Foundry Place, Strathmore Drive, Berkeley Crescent, Berkeley View, Chatsworth Road, Sandhurst Avenue, Allotments, St Wilfrid's Drive, Hovingham Avenue, Hovingham Park, track to rear of Hovingham School, allotments, Ryan Place and Hovingham Avenue and run until October 1.

West Yorkshire Police say that members of the neighbourhood team will be on hand to answer telephone enquiries about the order – on 0113 241 3270.