WISBECH: Town centre dispersal order to close, as police look to tackle public drinking problem
EXCLUSIVE by TOM JACKSON THE biggest crackdown on anti social behaviour in Wisbech comes to an on Saturday, when the town s dispersal order is closed. For the last 12 months Wisbech police have been dispersing groups of two or more people from the town ce
EXCLUSIVE by TOM JACKSON
THE biggest crackdown on anti social behaviour in Wisbech comes to an on Saturday, when the town's dispersal order is closed.
For the last 12 months Wisbech police have been dispersing groups of two or more people from the town centre who, they felt, were causing or likely to cause intimidation or harassment.
But the crackdown will not stop there, with police now looking to tackle a public drinking issue in the town.
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Sgt Dave Bax said: "The dispersal order was a short-term measure to target anti social behaviour when we had gangs of youths wandering around the town centre early in the morning looking to beat people up from other nationalities.
"Those types of incidents have now dropped, but anti social behaviour has remained at roughly the same level throughout."
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The order, bounded by Freedom Bridge roundabout to the north, Wisbech Park to the east, Alexandra Road to the west and the grass recreation area off St Peter's Road to the south, saw almost 400 people of all ages dispersed from the area.
Sgt Bax said: "Because it has come to an end it doesn't mean we plan to have future targeted dispersal orders where and when they are needed.
"We are still looking at the public drinking issue in the town but we have not yet decided how we are going to target it. We have identified it as an issue in the mornings and learned quite a lot in relation to it through the dispersal order."
Sgt Bax also said a "significant" thing to come from the dispersal order was the formation of two youth clubs.
"We have one at the Oasis Centre Tuesday evenings run by the Office of Children and Young People Services," he said. "And there's one at the Queen Mary Centre on a Monday.
