Essex police issue Southend dispersal order
They've got information about a 'large, planned gathering' on Friday
Another dispersal order's been put in place across south end - because police are concerned about a large anti-social gathering
The force say they're aware it's planned for Friday and will have additional police on the beat.
Chief Inspector Jo Collins, District Commander for Southend, said: “This weekend is set to be hot and sunny, and Southend will be open for business but closed for crime.
“We want people to come to our wonderful city to enjoy themselves in our fantastic bars and restaurants and have a great time at our brilliant beaches.
“But if you’re planning to come here and cause trouble – my message to you is don’t bother, because we’ll be waiting for you.
“We’re aware of information on social media relating to a potential gathering here on Friday and we have plans in place to deal with it.
“We’ll have an additional visible police presence meaning anyone planning disruption will be met robustly.
“If you’re coming by train, you’ll have not one force to contend with but two thanks to the excellent partnership we have with British Transport Police and c2c.
“This partnership work has driven down incidents of violence and anti-social behaviour this summer and seen those committing it dealt with.
“And we are experienced at dealing with this kind of issue. When there were plans for a similar event last month, we put robust plans in place and the day passed without incident ensuring families and businesses could enjoy it in peace.
“It is because of this approach that we’ve seen significant falls in incidents of violent crime and anti-social behaviour in the last year.”
A dispersal order will be in place in Southend between midday on Friday 8 September to midday on Sunday 10 September.
It will cover the area shown in this map.
The order does not mean there is a blanket ban on people coming to Southend. It gives officers the power to direct people suspected of acting anti-socially to leave the area. And if they don’t, they could be arrested.