Several dispersal orders were put in place by Merseyside Police in April. Were they successful?
17:41, 09 May 2026
Allerton Road was identified last month as one of Merseyside’s antisocial behaviour hotspots
April was a month for dispersal orders. Throughout last month scarcely an area of Merseyside avoided having a dispersal zone slapped on a community hotspot.
Kirkby, Garston, Speke, West Derby, Allerton, Birkenhead, and West Kirby all came under the police spotlight following spikes in antisocial behaviour, while officers in Liverpool’s city centre were also given enhanced stop and search powers to counter concerning violence involving youths.
The use of dispersal orders isn’t a new thing. They were first introduced as far back as 2014 under the Antisocial Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act, giving police powers to direct people suspected of causing trouble away from a specific area for up to 48 hours. Anyone who refuses can be arrested and risks a conviction that could ultimately land them in prison.
Perhaps more commonly they were once deployed in the wake of a serious incident, such as a gang-related weapons attack, to try to cool simmering tensions. They were also used extensively in the wake of the Southport stabbings, where disorder first broke out in the Sefton town before spreading to Liverpool and then to the wider country.
But in recent months, none more so than April, the dispersal orders were put in place to fight against intimidating behaviour including fights, objects being thrown at vehicles and people, vaping in shops and young people just being a general “nuisance”.
The recent spike in orders could be down to Merseyside Police’s recently appointed chief constable Rob Carden’s approach to policing. He’s told the ECHO how the “public wants to see visible policing” from a “confident force that polices on the front foot”. Or it could be down to the fact the warmer months of late spring and summer generally bring out more groups of youths because of the better weather and longer evenings.
For Merseyside Police and other forces around the country, they are a tool for countering a rise in antisocial behaviour. But critics have said they can be an indiscriminate blunt weapon which can criminalise innocent, young people and lead to mistrust between generations.
The Chief Constable of Merseyside Police Rob Carden wants his officers to have a visible approach to countering crime(Image: Andrew Teebay)
In recent weeks the ECHO has spoken with people who have found their community tainted by the actions of a select few.
On Allerton Road – an area regarded as a model high street because of its wide range of independent shops – residents described how when the clock strikes 3pm, school leaving time, the atmosphere changes and the area can turn into a “war zone”. The central hub of the disorder is the area around the KFC, which is seen as a meeting point for youngsters.
In two separate visits to the road, the ECHO has been told about the constant disruption, which includes eggs and milkshakes being launched, buses and cars kicked and local residents threatened. The result was a dispersal zone being implemented in the area for the first time ever.
A spokesperson for KFC told the ECHO they were aware of the ongoing activity and were working with the likes of the police, schools and residents to address the issues.
Allerton Road was identified as a hotspot of antisocial behaviour (Image: Liverpool Echo)
Meanwhile in West Kirby, on Wirral’s coastline, people told the ECHO how the town “dreads the school holidays” because of the increase in teenagers who “ride around doing wheelies in their black hoodies”. Issues raised by locals included youths leaving “masses of litter” and smoking cannabis in the park.
Police officers were granted additional powers in West Derby after reports of youths riding bikes towards oncoming traffic and blocking people’s driveways, while in Birkenhead there were concerning reports of items being thrown off Asda car park’s roof at members of the public.
The ECHO has analysed some of the police’s statistics about recent dispersal zones across Merseyside to see what impact the additional powers have had.
Muirhead Avenue in West Derby was covered by the dispersal zone(Image: LIVERPOOL ECHO)
The figures show that in the wake of the West Kirby disorder 14 dispersal notices were issued, while in Birkenhead town centre, three were handed out. The youngest child given a dispersal notice was aged just 11. No arrests were made in either of the dispersal zones.
Meanwhile over the weekend of April 25 and 26, eight dispersal notices were issued to youths in Speke and Garston, including for doing wheelies around the pavements in Mersey Retail Park. The following weekend seven orders were handed out in West Derby.
And in Allerton, around the KFC, four further notices were issued for youths “screaming at members of the public” and dangerously riding bikes in the middle of the road. Two youths were taken home to their parents, the police said, but no arrests were made.
In an apparent show of the success of the powers, dispersal zones were put in place again around both areas the following weekend, but no notices were handed out and no arrests made.
Merseyside Police Chief Constable Rob Carden addresses his officers(Image: Merseyside Police)
Merseyside Police neighbourhoods’ Inspector Kieron Hogan said: “It’s pleasing to know that residents have seen the positive impact that dispersal zones have had in their communities. We know that these orders are extremely effective because it allows us to protect law-abiding residents who just want to go about their daily lives without being subjected to anti-social behaviour and other criminality.
“By enforcing a dispersal zone, it gives officers the power to direct people away from a designated area for a certain period of time and they can also seize any item that could be used for antisocial behaviour. Should a person who has previously been directed to leave the area return, an offence would be committed, which they may ultimately be arrested for.
“The use of dispersal zones will always be considered if a particular community is suffering from an increase in antisocial behaviour-related incidents and we know they have worked well in the past. These orders are put in place to ensure residents and businesses are not subjected to any such behaviour, and I would ask people to continue reporting any concerns and we will take action.
“I would also like to take this opportunity to urge parents and guardians to know where young people in your care are, to further assist us in dealing with those who cause trouble. If you witness any anti-social behaviour or have any information about such incidents, please contact or speak to our officers and we will take action.”
Dr Robert Hesketh pictured in Stockbridge Village(Image: Liverpool ECHO)
Dr Robert Hesketh, an academic at Liverpool John Moores University who specialises in youth and gang crime, told the ECHO dispersal notices have several uses when it comes to reducing crime and antisocial behaviour, most notably through immediate disruption.
“Orders can effectively break up groups and prevent situations escalating on the spot,” he said. “This can be particularly useful in preventing disorderly conduct, fighting or intimidation in town centres.
“They say there is a deterrent effect. So, if you have the possibility of being moved on or searched, this can discourage people from engaging in antisocial behaviour or carrying weapons. [The] increased police presence and activity under these orders can reassure residents and may encourage reporting of issues, but this would be with older people.”
But the crime expert said there were significant limitations with the notices as well, including that because they focus on “displacement rather than resolution”.
He said: “Groups of kids or individuals may simply move their activities to nearby areas outside the designated zones, so the problem is shifted geographically rather than eliminated. This for me is the main issue – you’re not solving the problem, just moving somewhere else.”
Dr Hesketh said dispersal zones can also hamper community relations and “can lead to feelings of criminalisation or mistrust among young people and local communities, potentially hindering future cooperation with police”. He added: “You have to get the balance right since you can tar a lot of people who don’t get involved with the same brush.”
This was a concern for former children’s commissioner Anne Longfield, who, when previously quoted by the BBC, said the use of dispersal orders were a “potentially dangerous and damaging approach for young people and the community as a whole”. Calling them a “blunt instrument”, she said there needed to be a long-term solution to tackling antisocial behaviour.
Dr Hesketh said police powers worked best combined with a broader, long-term approach such as engagement programmes, improved social services, public health and targeted crime prevention efforts to address the underlying causes of antisocial behaviour and crime.
Merseyside Police recently announced a new model of policing which includes specific command units and a focus on neighbourhood policing. Chief Constable Carden previously told the ECHO that a return to more officers on the beat gave the public reassurance that crimes – such as antisocial behaviour, theft and low-level violence – were being taken seriously.
Meanwhile the National Police Chiefs’ Council, which sets national direction, has set out plans for how to tackle antisocial behaviour. Speaking previously about the use of dispersal orders, Deputy Chief Constable Andy Prophet, who leads on antisocial behaviour for the council, said: [They] are an important tool for officers responding to anti-social behaviour, disorder and crime in an area.
“They are proven to prevent repeat occurrences of anti-social behaviour and act as a deterrent to repeat offenders. We recognise the restrictive nature of dispersal orders, and that’s why there are tight regulations in place, to ensure that officers are using them fairly and appropriately.”