New Clapham 'dispersal zone' to tackle anti-social group

Lambeth Council and police have authorised a new dispersal zone which comes into force today to tackle a group of twenty youths who've been causing concern to residents in Clapham's Queenstown Road area.

The zone has been introduced after Clapham Town's safer neighbourhood team identified approximately 20 youths aged 10 to 25 years who have been persistently involved in antisocial behaviour near to the Willards estate.

Local residents and businesses have also been up in arms at the disruption caused by the group, who have been stealing from local shops, smoking cannabis in stair wells and terrorising shopkeepers and residents with verbal and physical abuse. Elderly and vulnerable people on the estate have also been victimised.

Now the zone is in place, the police will have powers to move on two or more people who are grouped together in that area - and if breached the youngsters could face arrest, prosecution and a prison sentence.

At the same time the young people will also be diverted in youth programmes to help address the root causes of their anti social behaviour to help them get their lives back on track.

The zone will be in force for an initial four months with monthly monitoring to measure its effectiveness. The area covered will include Queenstown Road, Robertson Street, Wandsworth Road, St Rule Street and roads within that boundary, as well as Cedars Road and Cetra Estate.

Cllr Donatus Anyanwu, cabinet member for safer communities at Lambeth Council, said: "We've been getting regular complaints from local residents and businesses who are clearly concerned and intimidated which is why we've acted fast to break up the group causing the problems.

"So we're going to help get these people's lives back on track. But most of all we're going to put an end to the anti-social behaviour that makes life a misery for decent law-abiding residents."

Superintendent Alistair Sutherland from Lambeth police said: "Lambeth police have responded with our partners in the local authority to the concerns of residents and businesses on Clapham Town Ward to serious and increased incidents of anti social behaviour by a number of youths around the Willard Estates and Queenstown Road.

“We have agreed to implement a Dispersal Zone under the Anti Social Behaviour Act 2003 which will give police enforcement and arrest powers to target those responsible for the anti social behaviour that is adversely affecting our community in that ward.

“We are taking a long term problem solving approach to this issue alongside this by working with the youths and their parents to try and find solutions appropriate to everyone involved."

Section 30 of the Anti Social Behaviour Act 2003 provides the police with a power to establish and enforce dispersal zones, where there are reasonable grounds to believe there is persistent anti social behaviour.

Authorisation may not be given without the consent of the local authority. Dispersal zones address anti social behaviour by curtailing two or more persons from being present in the area for up to 24 hours.

If a person breaches the terms of the order they can find themselves facing arrest and prosecution with a prison sentence of up to three months.

Within designated areas the police and police community support officers (PCSOs) have the power to:

• disperse groups where the relevant officer has reasonable grounds for believing that their presence or behaviour has resulted, or is likely to result, in a member of the public being harassed, intimidated, alarmed or distressed. Individuals are directed to leave the locality and may be excluded from the area for up to 24 hours.

• A police officer or PCSO has a discretionary power, within a designated area, to escort any young people under 16, who are out on the streets and not under the control of an adult, after 9pm to their home address.

Dispersal Zone legal powers come from Part 4 (sections 30-36) of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003