Southend: Dispersal order in Old Leigh and Chalkwell

A dispersal order is in place in Southend covering Old Leigh, Chalkwell Beach and esplanade, and the cinder path linking the two areas.

The order will run between 3.40pm today (Thursday 23 June) and 8am tomorrow (Friday 24 June).

It comes in response to a group of individuals entering the area who are suspected to be intent on causing disorder.

T/Inspector Dave Gardiner of the Southend Community Policing Team said:

“We are anticipating a busy night in the city with many young people out celebrating the end of their exams.

“We want everyone to enjoy themselves responsibly so will take the strongest possible action against anyone carrying weapons, committing acts of violence or behaving anti-socially.

“There will be a considerable police presence across the city and we will be working with our colleagues at the British Transport Police to identify troublemakers and prevent them from spoiling the evening for the law-abiding majority.”

Learn more about Section 60 and dispersal order powers by watching our explainer video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnOiWNSdgio

We’re here to protect people and catch criminals, but we have to understand that some members of the community don’t feel safe in the presence of our officers.

That might be because of something they’ve read about policing, or stories they’ve heard from friends, families or loved ones.

We value our communities and look to minimise this distress where we can.

If you want to learn more about stop and search please visit our webpage: The stop and search process | Essex Police