Police introduced a hard-hitting dispersal order and immediately stepped up patrols in Clifton after an outbreak of disorder on Halloween.
Officers were called to Southchurch Drive at around 4.40pm yesterday after reports fireworks were being thrown at members of the public and passing cars.
In the most serious incident, a firework landed in the pushchair of a two-year-old child.
Thankfully the toddler was not injured.
Fireworks were also thrown at officers who attended the incident.
The force swiftly introduced a 12-hour dispersal order granting officers additional powers to move people away from parts of Clifton and – in the case of under 16s – return them to their homes.
Increased high-visibility patrols were also introduced straight away and there will be a large police presence in the area over the coming days.
Officers have also vowed to continue their partnership work in the community to help tackle the underlying causes of antisocial behaviour.
Chief Inspector Chris Pearson, who is in charge of city neighbourhood policing, said:
“This time of year is a fun and enjoyable period for families marking Halloween and Bonfire Night.
“We want people to celebrate these annual festivities safely and officers will always try to facilitate this.
“Unfortunately, a minority of young people in Clifton chose to use Halloween as an excuse to engage in unruly and dangerous antisocial behaviour last night which could have led to serious injury.
“We made the decision to take robust action by introducing a dispersal order after receiving numerous reports of young people throwing fireworks in the street.
“This kind of behaviour is completely unacceptable – either towards members of the public or our officers who were simply doing their jobs – and will not be tolerated at any time of the year.
“While the order has come to an end, we will not hesitate to issue another one immediately should this be needed ahead of Bonfire Night.
“We have been working hard with Nottingham City Council and have identified a number of the individuals involved. They can expect a visit from the police.
“I would also appeal directly to people who witnessed this disorder and have information, CCTV, dash-cam, door bell or mobile phone footage which could help with the investigation to get in touch.
“I also understand the frustrations of residents that were impacted by this action having done nothing wrong themselves, and would like to thank them for their patience, cooperation and understanding.
“We will continue to provide a high-visibility presence in Clifton over the coming days to reassure members of the public.
“Antisocial behaviour is one of the priorities for my teams across the city and we are always looking at new ways to find solutions to the problem by working with our partners.
“We regularly engage with groups of young people and will continue to work with community groups and others to find safe places for them to socialise.”
Anyone with any information should call police on 101, quoting incident number 547 of 31 October 2023, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
To report antisocial behaviour in your neighbourhood, call 101 or use the Live Chat option on our website. If you don’t report it the problems may continue – so don’t rely on someone else to report it for you.
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