1. Dispersal orders came into force in January last year as part of the Antisocial Behaviour Act 2003. They give the police the power to disperse groups of people and return young people under 16 who are unsupervised in public places after 9pm to their homes. The powers are intended for use in areas where groups have caused members of the public "intimidation, harassment, alarm or distress" and where antisocial behaviour is a persistent problem.
2. A direction to disperse can be given orally and can include conditions, such as specific areas where people cannot return before a certain time.
Not following a direction is an arrestable offence that carries a maximum sentence of three months' imprisonment. They are not just intended for young people, though that is how they work in practice, and they shouldn't be used to stop young people coming back from youth clubs, for instance.
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