Police have reported “outbreaks of disorder” at Barry Island with “large numbers of youths” gathering in the area on Wednesday.
Officers have now been granted additional powers to deal with people acting in a “anti-social manner” following a number of incidents in the area on July 22.
Eyewitness Ollie Rosser, who was at Barry Island on Wednesday at around 6.30pm, described scenes of youths being moved on by police.
“I parked up at the bottom of the main strip where all the arcades are. All I saw was a big crowd of youngsters. It looked like the police were sort of pushing them towards the train station.
“There was a lot of them but I didn’t see any fists being thrown,” he said.
Images from the scene show large groups of youths, some on bikes, as well as several police officers at the scene.
In addition to the Section 35 dispersal order police will also be using powers to confiscate alcohol and if the behaviour meets criminal levels or the order is breached then perpetrators risk being prosecuted, a force statement said.
Chief inspector Michelle Conquer from South Wales Police said: “Our officers have been called to a number of disturbances in the Barry Island area this evening. It is a place enjoyed by people of all ages, at all times of the day, and such behaviour won’t be tolerated.
“Officers will be maintaining a visible presence in the area and our officers will proactively deal with any issues that arise – our message to anybody intent on going to Barry Island to cause trouble, or behave in a way that law-abiding people will find offensive, is to stay away.”
In a statement on Wednesday night a force spokesman said: “Section 35 dispersal orders under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 aim to ensure the safety of the public and reduce the risk of any anti-social behaviour or disorder within this area.
“The order gives a uniformed police officer the power to exclude a person from an area for a period of up to 48 hours by the issuing of a written notice.
“The power is preventative and allows an officer to deal quickly with someone’s behaviour before it escalates. It is in addition to the current Covid-19 legislation.”
