GANGS of youths responsible for crimes in Illogan will be subject to new dispersal powers granted to police last week.

Kerrier district council agreed to allow police to break up groups of young people and send them homes if their presence resulted in the intimidation of the public.

The order also allows police to enforce a curfew on youths under 16 who are unsupervised in public places after 9pm.

Police believe many of the problems, which often involve the misuse of drugs and alcohol, can be traced to a group of ten to 15 youths aged between ten and 23.

Anti-social behaviour including criminal damage, arson, assaults and minor theft have plagued the Illogan area creating fear and distress in the village.

The manager of a local shop said many of his staff, who set up a petition for the order to be invoked, would not work in the evenings for fear of intimidation.

Another resident complained of bottles being thrown at passers-by and the Community Support Officer has been the target of spitting by one youth.

A high percentage of the 99 crimes recorded between August and November this year were related to anti social behaviour and occurred around the hotspots of Illogan Park, the Square and Manningham Woods.

Despite the number of crimes, only a handful of arrests have been made, including two for being drunk and disorderly, two for harassment, one for theft and numerous seizures of alcohol.

Police patrols, drug and alcohol confiscation, and better lighting failed to improve the situation over the long term.

Under the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 permission must be granted to the police by local authorities before any action can be taken.