Gwent Police have issued dispersal orders for Caerphilly town centre and Penyrheol in a bid to combat antisocial behaviour.
The two 48-hour orders, made under Section 35 of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, begin tonight, Friday October 9, and will cover the following areas:
Penyrheol – beginning at 5pm
Heol Aneurin, Penyrheol in the vicinity of Top Stores and the Fish Bar and a 400 Metre radius of this location, including all streets, alleyways and thoroughfares.
Caerphilly town centre – beginning at 7pm
Cardiff Road, Bartlett Street, White Street, Market Street, St Martin’s Road, Station Terrace (Inc. bus station) , Salop Street, Van Road, Broomfield Street, Twyn Car-park and Centre, Windsor Road, Penterbane Street, Stockland Street, Bradford Street, Ludlow Street, St Fagan’s Street, Park Lane, Crescent Road, Claude Road, King Edwards Terrace, Railway Terrace, Rhymney Terrace, Mill Road between Pontygwindy and Caenant, Morgan Jones Park, Castle Court Shopping Centre to include all adjoining and unnamed lanes, alleyways, thoroughfares and car parks and all Caerphilly Castle Grounds.
The orders give police officers and community support officers the powers to move people on out of the area if they are causing trouble. If they return they face being arrested.
Gwent Police said officers will be actively patrolling the areas this evening.
Whilst these dispersals orders have had a dramatic effect on what was
previously seen by residents in the town as lawlessness by youngsters
appearing to have freedon to commit criminal acts of various degrees of
seriousness they will only work if, there is a breach of the order, and
Gwent Police Staff are `on the streets` of the town throughout the
period of the orders to enforce them.
Last night, at about 11pm
there was a serious incident caused by youngsters, in which a young
adult was set upon by a group of out of control cretinous, violent young
men and girls, the young person was set upon in Windsor Street in the
Town having been pursued by this ` out of control pack` from the
Commercial area of the town into the residential streets. The young man
was set upon beaten to the ground, repeatedly kicked and stamped on, he
was left unconscious for a while before some of the pack returned to
inflict more violence on this helpless young man. Local residents
intervene, (including some of the young family members of local
residents who were at home) to save the victim from further violent
abuse. The cowards who inflicted this damage on the victim then
dispursed in various directions into the residential streets, away from
the view of an street CCTV. in the Town.
It certainly `appeared`
that there was little or no police presence on the town at the time of
this violent attack on the residential streets of Caerphilly town,
however, when a number of residents called 999 they did respond in large
numbers, by which time the culprits had already disappeared from the
scene. It appears that if Officers were patrolling in the town at the
time of the attack they would have been at the scene quickly and
possibly when the prolonged attack was happening, the noise of the
baying mob would have been sufficient to alert them to it.
An
ambulance was called by ringing 999, only for the resident and the
police officers who called it to be told that there were `No Ambulances
Available` to repond, but when they have one available it will be sent.
about forty minutes later the ambulance arrived to aid the victim. Some
of the police officers were asked by residents concerned for the
condition of the victim if it would not be better for him if he could be
taken to Hospital in one of the Six Police vehicles that were in
attandance, so much as the concerned Officers were worried about him
they were not allowed to transport him due to his condition, and that
makes perfect sense, but, it is unacceptable for a severely injured
person to lay on the road for almost an hour before professional help is
administered, the residents and the Police did all they could to keep
this young man comfortable in the meantime.
It is now time for
Caerphilly Council, and the Gwent Police, through the Caerphilly Saferty
Partnership, to reconsider, A REFUSAL TO
EVEN CONSIDER to provide CCTV in residential areas of the town
to assist in reducing these incidents, and to help the Gwent Police
identfy culprits when it does happen, and bring them to justice.