Police have made arrests and issued cautions since being given new powers to disperse groups of young people on an estate in Dartford.

A dispersal area was introduced on January 31 at Temple Hill.

It will run for three months until April 30.

The order allows police to disperse any group of two or more people found causing or likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress.

Under 16s who aren’t with a responsible adult between 9pm and 6am can be taken back home. Failure to comply could lead to a fine and/or three months imprisonment.

Since the order has been in place there have been:

• 190 stop checks of people and vehicles
• Four arrests for possession with intent to supply
• One Penalty Notice for Disorder for possession of cannabis
• One arrest for cultivating cannabis
• One arrest for affray
• Four cannabis cautions
• Two arrests for criminal damage

Sergeant Karen Radford of Kent Police’s Community Safety Unit said: "We have been working closely with the young people on the Temple Hill estate and have had some positive results so far.

"We have made some arrests, issued cautions and spoken with people about their behaviour on Temple Hill and warned that it will not be tolerated.

"Kent Police will continue to work with young people to channel their spare time into something constructive and, working with local youth clubs, cadets and scout groups, we have organised a youth engagement day next month."

The youth engagement day has been arranged between 11am and 3pm on March 9 at the Living Well Centre, St Edmunds Road in Dartford.