Groups cause anti-social behaviour in Ventnor and Sandown

Isle of Wight Police, who deployed seven foot patrol officers in Sandown last night (Friday), came across a group of 16 young people causing anti-social behaviour and detained half of them, aged 14 to 16, before dispersing them from the town for 48 hours with a warning notice.

Those detained were warned that under the terms of the Section 35 Dispersal Authority notice issued, should any of them enter Sandown within the next 48 hours, they would be arrested, with a possible prosecution.

The team were also busy in Shanklin and Ventnor.

Earlier in the evening, officers in Ventnor spoke with youths during a patrol of known hot spots for anti-social behaviour, which included unoccupied properties in St Lawrence and the cemetery on Newport Road, which police say they are regularly patrolling.

However, later last night officers were redeployed to Ventnor during the early hours of the morning (Saturday) after a group of around 50 were causing a disturbance in Pound Lane.

Officers had also completed a safeguarding visit in Shanklin and conducted foot patrols around Shanklin’s anti-social behaviour hot spots, without incident.

"The team made good use of the Section 35 Dispersal Authority, which we have in place this weekend," said Sgt Sharland, of the South Wight Neighbourhoods Policing Team.

"Using these preventative tactics has prevented large scale anti-social behaviour in Sandown — dividing the group responsible and removing the main instigators for the whole weekend.

"We will also be following up with 'youth diversion' for these individuals, thanks to support from our partners at the Isle of Wight Council and local youth groups.

"We re-attended Ventnor in the early hours and, with the support of our colleagues from the response and patrol teams and the Dog Support Unit, we managed to disperse the entire group from the town extremely quickly — preventing a continued breach of the peace."