Last updated 13:15, Thursday, 29 May 2008

POLICE powers to stop people gathering to cruise their cars in Workington will start again on Sunday. 

Following the success of a dispersal order which was used 178 times to stop cruising at Derwent Howe, police have decided to reinstate it. 

They will be able to break up groups of people hanging around Derwent Howe if they believe they are causing alarm or distress to the public.

Officers can also ban a person from the area for 24 hours.

If people do not adhere to the order, they can be imprisoned for three months and/or be given a fine of up to £2,500. 

The order is for the area bounded by Havelock Road, Derwent Drive, Bessemer Way and the Carlisle to Barrow rail line. It also includes the Morrisons supermarket car park. 

Superintendent Phil Bishop said: “The powers to disperse were used 178 times during the three months of this order. 

“These extra powers gave us the ability to prevent offences being committed and as such numbers of incidents in the area reduced from 18 in the three months prior to the order to six during the time the order was in existence.

“Feedback from members of the public using the area was positive and there was a lot of support for the dispersal among all sections of the local community.

“However since the order ended there have been six further incidents of anti-social driving and members of the public being threatened.

“Therefore a joint decision has been taken by Cumbria Constabulary and Allerdale Borough Council to reinstate the order for another three months.

“The majority of the complaints we have had from that area have related to young drivers using the car parks for cruising."

The order will be reviewed on a weekly basis before permanent gates are installed at Morrisons car park.

The dispersal order was first introduced on January 19 as part of the constabulary's ongoing Respect campaign and it finished on April 18. 

Extra patrols will be in the area and police are urging anyone who see people behaving in an anti-social way to call them on 0845 3300247.