Leeds police granted asbo order to tackle Morley town centre issues - the area covered and how long it lasts

The dispersal orders give officers the ability to arrest and charge anyone who returns to a specified area within 48 hours of being told to leave. West Yorkshire Police has been granted an order covering much of Morley town centre in response to a rise in anti-social behaviour in the area.

Its Leeds South Neighbourhood Policing team said the order would remain in effect until 4am on Saturday July 8. It said: “Any one person or groups found engaging in acts of anti-social behaviour during this time can be ordered to leave the area and not return for 48 hours (as shown on the map). If under the age of 16, this can involve being returned home. If found to be returning within that 48 hours, they can then be arrested and charged with a criminal offence.”

The area covered by the order is bordered by Troy Road and Scatcherd Park, South Parade, Fountain Street and Corporation Street. The terms of the order also allow officers to seize any items believed to be used by someone engaging in acts of anti-social behaviour. This can include bicycles, scooters and e-scooters being ridden in an anti-social manner.

A similar dispersal order was issued to the same neighbourhood policing team earlier this week covering parts of Tingley and East Ardsley. It coincides with Anti-Social Behaviour Awareness Week, which encourages communities to take a stand against ASB and highlight the actions that can be taken by those experiencing it.

This week, it also emerged that neighbourhood police officers are being diverted from their usual beats as demand has trebled in some parts of the city. Members of the city council’s Inner South Community Committee heard that police were currently handling around 500 incidents “at any one time” in Leeds, compared to an expected figure of around 150. Inspector Mark Gamlyn said: “I’d say calls for Leeds over the last four to five weeks have been the highest I’ve ever known it, and it’s eight years I’ve been here. The directive has been for neighbourhood policing teams to backfill and support call handling.”