Town bans kids: 9pm curfew for under 16s unless they have an adult with them

New powers allow police to take under-16s home and disperse groups of two or more in areas where anti-social behaviour is rife

Children are to be banned from a town centre at night unless they have an adult with them.

The 9pm to 6am curfew is part of crackdown on rowdy troublemakers.

New powers allow police to take unaccompanied under-16s home and disperse groups of two or more in areas where anti-social behaviour is rife.

Those who refuse to leave face arrest.

Campaigners have blasted the six-month trial in Barnsley, South Yorkshire.

Nick Pickles of Big Brother Watch said: “This just moves the problem elsewhere.

"Treating every group of young people as criminals is quite wrong.

“It is a sign police have lost control and does nothing to restore community spirit or respect for the law.”

But Insp Julie Marshall said: “Police have had many reports of rowdy and abusive behaviour by large groups in the town centre late at night.

“The public and business community feel harassed and intimidated.”

Cops have promised to use discretion and say they do not want to deter people from nights out in town.

The police did this a couple of times in the area I grew up in in the 1970's because of huge gang fights.
Any more than 4 teens walking together would also risk being lifted as a gang, even if you were doing nowt.

We made our own entertainment in them days. None of your virtual truncheon x-box type silliness.

Maybe its not a bad idea On my estate you see kids as young as 5 and 6 with their parents on the door steps drinking cans of cider running around in the early hours of the morning. Too many immature people having kids who grow up with out many morals.