Dispersal order granted at The Hyde in Stevenage after 45 complaints

Martin Dunne

Published: 4:23 PM August 22, 2014 Updated: 8:02 PM November 1, 2020

A dispersal order has been granted for The Hyde in Stevenage - Credit: Archant

Groups of intimidating youths are being targeted by police in a bid to tackle antisocial behaviour at a shopping precinct.

A Section 30 dispersal order covering the area around The Hyde in Stevenage will go live at 6pm today in reaction to police receiving 45 calls about antisocial behaviour in the past six weeks.

The order – which runs until February 22 and covers The Hyde, Oxleys Road, Hydean Way and Shephall Way – gives police the power to disperse groups of two or more people who are causing or are likely to cause harassment alarm or distress to the public.

Police can ask people to leave the area and they must not return within 24 hours, otherwise they can be arrested.

If police find a youth under the age of 16 causing antisocial behaviour, they can also remove them from the scene and take them home.

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Inspector Simon Tabert said: “We welcome this order as it is an additional tool which will assist us in dealing with those who are committing antisocial behaviour in and around The Hyde. It has been the result of hard work of the neighbourhood officers for The Hyde including PC Matt O‘Neill and PCSO Tara Adams–Cook and partner agencies.

“Now that we have secured this it is also important that members of the community in and around The Hyde support us with this. If they see or hear any antisocial behaviour they should call us and we will move them on.”