Police are granted dispersal order in St Ives ahead of rumoured car meet-up
A dispersal order has been granted for St Ives. Picture: CONTRIBUTED - Credit: Archant
A dispersal order has been granted after concerns were raised over the unauthorised use of St Ives Park and Ride in Meadow Lane for a car enthusiast meeting.
The order, which grants police powers to move people on from an area where they suspect their behaviour is anti-social, will be available over the weekend.
The order covers St Ives town and Needingworth and has been granted under Section 34 of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. It allows PCSOs and police officers to direct a person to leave the area specified within the order if they have reasonable grounds to suspect that their behaviour has caused, or is likely to cause, harassment, alarm or distress to members of the public.
Failure to comply with the order can result in arrest.
Sergeant Alice Draper, from the St Ives neighbourhood policing team, said: "We are aware of a planned event in St Ives.
"Not only does this cause distress to residents and disruption to local businesses, it can be extremely dangerous, as we saw in nearby Stevenage on July 18.
"In the majority of cases no actions are taken to protect those who attend or partake in these events, and in this case the use of the park and ride has not been authorised.
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"The dispersal order gives us the power to make those causing the anti-social behaviour leave the area with immediate effect and not to return within a specified period."