Woman held after Police called to 'violent disorder' in Reading
It happened last night in Southcote
Last updated 27th Oct 2023
Police are appealing for witnesses after an outbreak of violent disorder in Reading.
A large group of people were involved in a violent disorder at Alan Place and Coronation Square, Southcote, at around 10pm last night (26/10).
During the disorder, weapons were seen and the victim, a man in his twenties, had a noxious substance sprayed at him. No one was injured.
A 19-year-old woman from Reading was arrested on suspicion of violent disorder and possession of a Section 5 firearm. She remains in custody at this time.
Investigating officer Detective Inspector Matthew Rees, based at Reading Police station, said:
“I am appealing for anyone with information about this incident to please come forward.
“Also, anyone who lives in the area and has a CCTV camera, or anyone with a dash-cam who was driving in the area at the time, please check your recordings and get in touch if it shows anything that may be of use for our investigation.
“Anyone with information or footage should call 101 or make a report on our website, quoting reference number 43230482647.
Section 60
Following the incident, officers authorised a Section 60 order at 1.20am today (27/10) which covers the area shown in the map below.
The order temporarily enhances powers for officers, meaning they can stop and search anyone in a designated area, shown on the map below.
The order will be in place for 48 hours and is due to expire at 1.20am on Sunday (29/10) when it will be reviewed and may be extended for another 24 hours.
“We have also put this Section 60 order in place in a specific area of Reading following serious violence and to prevent potential further violence.
“The order gives our officers extra powers to carry out stop and search activity, and has been enacted for the safety of the public.
“I understand that an order of this nature could cause concern, but while it may sound alarming, enhancing our stop and search powers provides us with another tactic to quickly identify and disrupt those carrying weapons.
“If you are stopped by an officer, please do not be worried as this does not mean that you are in trouble.
“You will see more police officers in the area while the order is in place and we expect to carry out more stop and searches than usual.
“Officers who are out and about are there to reassure you as well as using their powers under Section 60 so please do stop and speak with them about any concerns that you have.”