Cleveland Police arrest three children following incident at Middlesbrough supermarket
Cleveland Police have made arrests following an incident at a supermarket after which dispersal order was put in place in Berwick Hills
Officers have arrested two 12-year-olds and an 11-year-old.
A 48-hour dispersal order was put in place following an incident at a shop in the Berwick Hills Shopping centre on Wednesday 8 February.
An 11-year-old has since been arrested in connection with the incident and bailed to the Youth Offending Team.
Another youth has been arrested and charged with a breach of a previous dispersal order which was put in place on 12th January.
A third was released with no further action. The parents of the children were also spoken to.
A dispersal order allows officers to disperse groups of youths from a specified zone immediately where it is likely their behaviour will cause harassment, intimidation, alarm, or distress to the public.
If they return within that time frame, they can then be arrested for being in breach of the order.
Middlesbrough Neighbourhood Policing Team Chief Inspector, Wendy Tinkler said: “A dispersal order is a really useful tool to use following incidents of this nature as it means we can take action and prevent further harm.
“We are conscious that individuals may move on to other areas and have ensured that the wider area is monitored to prevent this from occurring.
“The dispersal order in Berwick Hills has enabled officers to identify those persons responsible for the recent crime and antisocial behaviour and provide reassurance to the local businesses and residents.
“We recognise, however, that dispersal orders provide a degree of immediate respite and we are therefore working closely with our partner agencies and the management of the local shops to develop a long-term preventative strategy to tackle the persistent problems at Berwick Hills.
“Officers and partner agencies will be engaging with parents, who have been extremely supportive of police action, with a view to preventing further incidents.”
Police were called to the Morrisons shop in Berwick Hills, at 7:06pm on Wednesday 8 February to reports of two youths throwing objects at the window.
Footage, which has been widely shared on social media, appears to show the children shouting abuse and spitting at security guards standing outside the shop in Berwick Hills, Middlesbrough, before the doors are closed.
They then start banging the doors with a bin, before shattering the glass with a scooter.
Police are encouraging members of the public to speak with them about any issues or concerns they may have. People can contact Middlesbrough Neighbourhood Team by calling 101.
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