A Section 35 dispersal order has been put in place for the Pipps Hill area of Basildon following information that an unauthorised car cruising event had been planned for this weekend.

The order will run from 7pm on Saturday February 24, to 12.01am on Monday, February 26.

The order has been made under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, and gives our officers the power to order people causing anti-social behaviour to leave the area.

It is a criminal offence to breach a direction given under the order and in the worst cases this can result in a criminal conviction punishable by up to six months imprisonment or a fine of up to £5,000.

Inspector Steve Parry, from Basildon Local Policing Team, said:

“We believe an unauthorised car meet was due to take place this weekend.  This order has been put in place, as previous meets have caused significant alarm and distress to local residents, due to the noise of the stereo and exhaust systems.   

“We’ll be patrolling the area with officers from our Roads Policing Unit, and will be using a drone to capture evidence of any offences and anti-social behaviour.

“Hopefully, these measures will prevent any problems, however, residents are our eyes and ears and we’d encourage you to report any issues to us over the weekend, as soon as they arise.  

“Thank you in advance to the local community for their patience, and for supporting us with the matter.”