Burnham-On-Sea police could soon have extended powers to move on groups of vehicles congregating in supermarket and council-run car parks as part of a crackdown on anti-social behaviour.
Town Councillors have this week given their support to the plans, which were unveiled by Inspector Roger Tolley at Monday night’s council meeting.
“We are proposing to introduce Dispersal Orders at the Morrisons car park in Pier Street and other supermarket and council-run car parks across Burnham and Highbridge,” said Inspector Tolley, pictured below.
“There have been many complaints about anti-social behaviour over the years caused by groups of vehicles congregating in car parks. This would help us tackle the issue,” he added.
A dispersal order provides the police with additional powers to disperse groups of two or more people.
They are used where officers have reasonable grounds for believing that that a group’s presence or behaviour has resulted, or is likely to result, in a member of the public being harassed, intimidated, alarmed or distressed.
Once asked to disperse, it will be a criminal offence for that person or group to return to the dispersal area for a 24-hour period.
“Councillors are keen to see these problems tackled and are happy to give support to this proposal,” Town Clerk Eileen Shaw told Burnham-On-Sea.com.
