News

Manor Park dispersal order never used

By Stephanie Cockroft
December 28, 2011

TOUGH powers allowing the police to disperse groups from Manor Park have never used, it has emerged.

The order was put in place in the summer amid fears of trouble following the riots.

At the time, youth worker Rich Cooper, who previously worked for youth charity The Source Cafe, said tensions were brewing because of “ongoing clashes, struggles and misunderstandings” between people who are brought up and live in Aldershot and the Nepalese population.

But when asked how many times the dispersal order was needed, police replied that it had not been used. The order ran from Friday, August 19, until September 9, the weekend after children went back to school after the summer holidays.

Sergeant Debbie Barnes, of Aldershot’s safer neighbourhood team, said it showed that people had responded well to police warnings.

See the December 30 edition of the Aldershot News & Mail for the full story.

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dispersal order never used.Well the order should be put in place in the Municipal Gardens as there are large groups of nepalese youths causing trouble late at night. I've seen it for myself living close to the gardens, just this sunday gone i witnessed about 15 to 20 nepalese youths hanging around the Cenotaph in the early hours of the morning, if it was groups of white youths they would have been moved on!!

aldershot11, Aldershot
03/01/2012 at 12:23

I did not realise that the ban was for such a short period - basically the summer school holidays. The posters are still in position and I did not read the small print.

I wonder what research was done to measure the effectiveness of the order and the reasons given for stopping of trouble making.

I do not for one minute think that merely posting them caused the trouble to cease.

This is rather like the banning of drinking in certain parts of Aldershot and many will remember just how long it took to clear Municipal Gardens of seasoned srinkers where there was, i think, no time limit on the duration of the banning order.

Hopefully the potential youth trouble in Manor Park has gone away though methinks it has "simply" been moved on to nearby streets.

Visiting Manor Park during the morning sees many elderly Nepalese groups in Tai Chi classes - something I did not think I would ever see in Aldershot and certainly nicely "different"!!!!

Retired of Aldershot, Aldershot
30/12/2011 at 11:18

the order was never used because the youth of aldershot moved out into the surrounding area. we have had a aweful time with the youths moving into our quite area. riding motors cycles up and down the road. damage to cars and gardens. these fine youths left emputy bottles of alcohol and cigrette stubs all over the childrens play park, which they also damaged. yup a real credit.

lucy bruce
29/12/2011 at 15:15

and isn't that a credit to the people and youth of Aldershot. despite all the rubbish and knock backs they have to put up with over the last few years - they are more civilised than some of their counterparts in areas of the country that are better off and receive more grants. So come on Rushmoor Council reward the youth of Aldershot and invest in them - they proved to you in the summer of discontent that they are worth your commitment.