POLICE officers were handed additional powers to crack down on youth anti-social behaviour in Runcorn over the weekend.

Cheshire Police confirmed that a dispersal order was implemented at Runcorn Shopping City and Trident Retail Park on Saturday afternoon.

It came following reports of a large group of youngsters being a ‘nuisance’ in the area.

Dispersal orders give police officers the power to exclude a person from an area for a period of up to 48 hours with an inspector’s authority.

The officer must have reasonable grounds to suspect that the behaviour of the person in the locality has contributed to or is likely to contribute to members of the public being harassed, alarmed or distressed, or the occurrence of crime or disorder.

The force’s Runcorn Police team said: “A dispersal order was put in place around Runcorn Shopping City and Trident Retail Park.

“This was after a large group of youths were reported causing a nuisance.

“Do you know where your children are?”