Arrests After Trouble On Portsmouth Estate

7 April 2011, 12:16 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

A Portsmouth Safer Neighbourhoods team have arrested four teenagers after a problems with anti-social behaviour on a local housing estate.

St James Road and Dunnsmore Close in the St Thomas area of Portsmouth had become a hotspot for around ten youths aged between 13 and 16 since October 2010. There have been at least 21 reported incidents between October and March 2011.

The youths would gather regularly and conduct anti-social behaviour, occasionally being abusive to shop workers and residents and causing criminal damage to private property.

PC Owen Woods said: “The issues surrounding St James Road and Dunnsmore Close have been continuing for a number of months now, causing the people living and working there considerable stress and upset.

“We have taken a number of actions during this time to attempt to engage with those responsible, involving their parents and diversionary groups such as Motiv8 to help encourage them to turn their lives around.

 “However, their continued actions have led to the arrest of four individuals.” 

Three youths from the Portsmouth area were arrested following an incident where approximately £300 worth of damage was done on a construction digger that was in the estate.

A 16-yr-old was charged and given a youth referral order, and also had six points added to his licence for riding a mini motorbike without insurance or protective headgear.

A 14-yr-old was charged with criminal damage and reprimanded. A second 16-yr-old was referred to the Youth Restoritive Justice scheme.

A 13-yr-old was also arrested for causing around £165 worth of damage to property in a newsagents in the estate.  

A further five youths, all from the Portsmouth area, have been issued with Acceptable Behaviour Contracts (ABCs) for their continued anti-social behaviour. A failure to comply with this can result in issuing them with Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs).

Portsmouth Central Safer Neighbourhoods Inspector Greg Moore said: "Where it is appropriate we will try to support individuals in a positive way by working with them and the other agencies in our area.

“However if people still commit crime or behave in an anti-social way then we will robustly use the powers available to us to prevent them effecting the lives of the other people in our community."