Police action to stop rampaging kids

Teenagers threw eggs and fireworks at houses, a car was overturned by youths, and there were numerous reports of anti-social behaviour in both areas. Now police have announced new measures to combat the violence, including a new Dispersal Order covering 30 streets in Sidley.

In the run-up to Christmas, Inspector Dick Coates, head of the Bexhill Neighbourhood Policing Team, has also announced:

*Operation Quench - A pre-Christmas crack-down on late-night violence

*Operation Exodus - dedicated police patrols to enforce Barwatch bans on pub trouble-makers

*A pre-Christmas initiative to clear up graffiti in Sidley

Matters at Sidley have come to a head with an outbreak of egg and fire-work throwing which brought a flood of phone calls from irate members of the public.

The problem has been echoed at Pebsham

Police have increased patrols by Community Support Officers following a night of anti-social behaviour in Sidley and Pebsham which saw a van overturned. Sergeant Trish Reeve-Fowkes said that over a three-hour interval from 6pm last Monday police received numerous telephone calls from members of the public in both districts worried about rowdy behaviour.

The sergeant said police responded to complaints that teenagers were throwing eggs and fireworks at property but the youngsters melted away into side streets and back-alleys each time.

In the most serious incident, a white van was overturned by youths in Long Avenue at Pebsham.

Anyone with information about the incidents is asked to contact Sergeant Dave Sands at Bexhill police station on 0845 6070999.

Teenagers brought criminal damage back to the streets of Pebsham on Monday this week when bricks were thrown through the windscreens of vehicles parked overnight in Seabourne Road and Kinver Lane.

From December 1, officers patrolling the Sidley area will be able to break up teenage gangs and escort younger members to their homes.

Inspector Coates' move in obtaining a renewed Dispersal Officer for Sidley follows the success of similar Orders earlier this year covering first Sidley and then the town centre.

Senior police officers can seek a Dispersal Order under Section 30 of the Anti-Social Behaviour Act, 2003. The Orders must be signed by a Superintendent and are for a limited period.

The measure gives police the power to order groups of two or more people to disperse. Young people under the age of 16 who are unsupervised in public places after 9m can be returned home by officers.

Before a Dispersal Order is withdrawn by the supervising Superintendent, consultation must take place with the local authority concerned.

Explaining the move, Inspector Coates told the Observer: "It's back due to an increase in anti-social behaviour in the area and at the request of local residents."

He said damage caused at Sidley and at Pebsham at Halloween were typical examples of the problem.

"We are suffering mindless damage and a lot of egg-throwing in the area. Also groups of youths intimidating residents.

"I have no end date as yet for the Order. It will be evaluated as it goes on. The other two have been very successful."

Last summer's successful Operation Quench cut violent late-night crime in the town centre and Sidley by 25%, says Inspector Coates.

Now he is using 5,000 of the money provided by the Safer Rother Partnership for this to fund a renewed Operation Quench initiative. From November 24 until New Year, police officers will be doing additional shifts to provide high-visibility patrols in the town centre and Sidley on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

Operation Exodus is being supervised by Sergeant James Scott. Dedicated officers will be mounting high-visibility night patrols in support of the successful Barwatch partnership initiative with the licensed trade. Under the Barwatch, scheme a total of 116 trouble-makers are now banned from licensed premises througout East Sussex police division which covers Rother and Hastings. Some 22 of those banned are from Bexhill.

Inspector Coates said the aim was to ensure that law-abiding members of the public could enjoy Christmas and New Year without fear of intimidation.

The Safer Rother Partnership told the newly-created Sidley Local Action Team this week that it was making 3,000 available to clean up the graffiti which is disfiguring Sidley.

Streets covered by the Sidley Dispersal Order are:.

Birch View

Cooper Drive

Kingscott Close

Morgan Close

Langley Close

Carfax Close

Watergate

Faygate Close

Watermill Lane

Ninfield Road

Camperdown Street

Turkey Road

All Saints Lane

Norfolk Close

Preston Road

Festival Gardens

Cumberland Road

Claremont Road

Sidley Street

Suffolk Road

North Road

Buckholt Lane

Glenburn Close

Crowhurst Lane

Elderwood Close

Meadow Crescent

Ringwood Road

Bank Road

Sidley Green

Ingrams Avenue

Glovers Lane

Stevens Close

Buxton Drive

Wrestwood Road ( from Ninfield Road to junction of St James Road)

Bargate Close

Bodle Crescent

Canada Way

Calgary Road

Edmonton Road

Wakeham Close