Anyone who has been ordered by police to leave the area will be committing an offence if they return and may be arrested
The area where the dispersal zone is in force(Image: Merseyside police)
Police have been given additional powers in Woodchurch tonight, April 16, following an increase in reports of anti-social behaviour and criminal damage in the area.
The order, which is made under Section 34 of the Anti-Social Behaviour & Policing Act 2014, will last for 48 hours until 5.37pm on Friday, April 18.
During this time, both police officers and police community support traffic officers have the power to direct people who are engaging in antisocial behaviour, or who they believe are likely to become involved in such incidents.
They also have the power to seize any item used in the commission of anti-social behaviour. Merseyside Police said: “These powers will not be used for anyone visiting the area and going about their daily business.”
The dispersal zone covers Arrowe Park Road, Woodchurch Road, M53, Upton Road, Hoole Road shops, The Woodchurch Pub, The Meadow, Woodchurch Leisure Centre, Eltham Green, Asda and Fender Court.
Anyone who has been ordered by police to leave the area will be committing an offence if they return, and may be arrested, police warned.
Wirral inspector Andrew Murphy said: “We have proactively put this dispersal zone in place in response to reports involving anti-social behaviour and criminal damage in the area, which is having a significant impact on the community.
“We have received reports of a small minority of youths riding motorcycles in an anti-social manner, youths being verbally abusive to members of the public which is causing distress and fear during the Easter holidays.
“We are appalled by this anti-social behaviour which is totally unacceptable, and understand the impact it has on residents and businesses.
“This will not be tolerated and would like to reassure the Woodchurch community that we are actively and robustly responding to the situation by putting proactive measures in place to prevent offences from taking place.
“I ask residents in the area to check your CCTV and doorbell footage and contact us if they think there it has captured the perpetrators causing the issue to help identify them.
“This is a full-partnership approach where we will be working with partner agencies to identify suspects. While police and partners are working together, we also need support of parents to take responsibility to prevent it from happening in the first place.
“We would urge parents/guardians to know where your kids are and who they’re with, to ensure they don’t become involved in situations which could cause disruption or distress to local communities and residents.”
Always call 999 if a crime is in progress. People who want to provide information about anti-social behaviour are asked to contact the Merseyside Police social media desk @MerPolCC on Twitter, or ‘Merseyside Police Contact Centre’ on Facebook.
You can also contact the independent charity Crime stoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. You can also follow @MerPolWirral on X and Facebook for updates and advice.