The police insist these new measures don't represent a curfew in the sense that most of the media coverage of this initiative has suggested.
They say the measures aim to disperse rowdy gangs of unruly youths and lone children who could be in danger.
Fair enough. Under Section 30 of the Antisocial Behaviour Act 2003, they are correct. However, there's a thin line between point six of this section, which says police can remove someone under 16 who isn't under the effective control of a parent or "responsible" person aged 18 or over, and a curfew.
This is especially true when you listen to Sir Ian Blair (no relation), deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, who says no "responsible parent would like their 15-year-old unaccompanied in the West End after 9pm".
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