A dispersal order has been issued for Longton town centre as Staffordshire Police look to crack down on anti-social behaviour (ASB).

The order gives officers the power to disperse anyone for the purpose of or reducing the likelihood of members of the public in the locality being harassed, alarmed, distressed or the occurrence of crime and disorder.

Failing to comply with an order is a criminal offence and police can return anyone under the age of 16 to their home address.

The order will be used in the locality of Longton Town Centre and Pheonix Retail Park (Staffordshire Police).

As part of the powers, police can issue the notices for a period of up to 48 hours and anyone found breaching a notice is liable to be arrested and face further action.

This comes as there have been reports of ASB in the area recently, with youths reportedly harassing members of the public and staff at local stores in the area.

The dispersal order comes into force at 3pm today (15 March) and will be in place until 3pm on Friday (17 March).

The order has been granted for officers and PCSOs to use in the locality of Longton Town Centre and Phoenix Retail Park.

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There have been reports of anti-social behaviour in Longton recently (Sarah Garner).

Inspector Mark Burslem, of Stoke South Local Policing Team, said: "Following an increase in calls from concerned residents, officers will be patrolling the area to tackle any instances of crime or anti-social behaviour.

"We encourage parents and guardians to ensure they know where their children are, what they are up to, and who they are with."

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