A DISPERSAL order  by police to prevent young people from congregating in a village will take effect this evening from 5pm.

Last week the Leader reported that Brymbo Community Council announced it has allocated £16,000 towards youth provision and activities in the hope of tackling ongoing anti-social behaviour issues in the village.

In recent weeks, police have been alerted to large groups of young people gathering in Brymbo – including one incident on October 14 in which officers were called out to a large group at the Brymbo Sports and Social Complex who claimed there was nothing for them to do in the village.

Today North Wales Police issued a dispersal order which will  the last weekend.

The order gives police the power to disperse groups of two or more people from areas where there is persistent anti-social behaviour or take home young people under 16 out on the streets in a dispersal zone between 9pm and 6am and not accompanied by a parent or responsible adult.

A police spokesman said: “The Brymbo area of Wrexham has seen a sudden increase in anti-social behaviour with youths repeatedly  congregating in Argoed and at the Brymbo Sports and Social Complex, and other areas.

“The large groups  have been causing intimidation, harassment  and nuisance to members of the public  as well as criminal damage. The  alarm and distress caused has also affected local businesses.

“Police have conducted hi-viz patrols, spoken to the parents and guardians  of  the youths responsible and attempted to move the youths along.

“However, the groups tend to  return to an area once officers have left the scene. The police have now issued a  weekend dispersal order covering the area shown on the map. It will apply from 5pm on Friday, October 20 until 4.59pm Sunday,  October 22.”

Brymbo councillor Paul Rogers, chairman of Brymbo Community Council, welcomed the move.

He told the Leader: “I have been working with North Wales Police and Wrexham Council’s youth services over the past week to discuss the ongoing issues of anti-social behaviour and vandalism in the village.

“As a result police put the dispersal order in place.

“I fully support the police in their actions to tackle anti-social behaviour – it is one extra tool which will support police and their powers to address the issue.

“There is no excuse for such behaviour. We are working as a community to increase the opportunities for young people but boredom is not an excuse for vandalism.

“There have been some large groups of youths in the village this week but no further reports of anti-social behaviour.”

Speaking of the £16,000 set aside by the community council, cllr Rogers said: “The community council is working in partnership with Wrexham Council to decide on the activities and they will be announced in the near future.”