Dispersal order in Buckland after unruly 'groups of youths' abuse Portsmouth residents

Anyone causing problems in the area surrounding Seymour Close, Buckland, from midday today will be dispersed by police.

Officers have been conducting extra patrols, Hampshire police said, after repeated problems with groups in the street.

The order ends on midday on Saturday and includes Buckland Park, Agincourt Road and Arnaud Close.

Anyone refusing to leave when told to do so by officers could be committing a criminal offence.

Children under 16 will be taken home and police will speak to their parents.

A police spokeswoman said: ‘This action comes in response to concerns raised by residents living in the Seymour Close area of the city.

‘We’ve been made aware of numerous incidents in the area over the last month, involving groups of young people congregating outside and being abusive to residents.’

Sergeant Colin Kirby added: ‘We know from having spoken to residents in the area how much anti-social behaviour can have a negative impact on people’s lives and this is simply not acceptable.

‘While we have ensured that we have extended our patrols in the area, we also feel that making use of these powers to disperse groups of people will help us further to tackle this issue.

‘While we are all still doing what we can to keep each other healthy during the ongoing pandemic, we want to reassure our communities that our core work around making our neighbourhoods safer for everyone is still our priority.’

Anyone concerned about anti-social behaviour or groups of people gathering should call 101 or report the matter at hampshire.police.uk

A message from the Editor

Thank you for reading this story on portsmouth.co.uk. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to portsmouth.co.uk and enjoy unlimited access to local news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit our Subscription page now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.