Kent Police Intercept Under-18s at Railway Stations and Issue Dispersal Orders in Summer Antisocial Behaviour Crackdown

The confirmation came via Kent Police’s verified social media account, in a post directed at a member of the public. The force stated that stopping people at stations and issuing dispersal orders is one of the ways it tackles antisocial behaviour, and it shared video footage of officers carrying out such interventions.

Powers Being Used and What They Allow

Dispersal orders are issued under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. Under those powers, officers and designated police community support officers can direct individuals away from a specified area for up to 48 hours if their presence or behaviour is considered likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress, or to contribute to crime and disorder.

Kent Police have stated that anyone over the age of 10 who is carrying out nuisance behaviour within a dispersal zone can be directed to leave. Those who return within the specified time period risk arrest. Under-18s found within a dispersal zone may have alcohol confiscated, according to the force. Items considered to be contributing to nuisance — such as portable music speakers — may also be seized during the order period.

The legal basis for confiscating alcohol from young people in public places is established under the Licensing Act 2003 and the Confiscation of Alcohol (Young Persons) Act 1997, which give officers powers to remove alcohol from under-18s in certain circumstances. Failure to surrender alcohol when required can itself constitute an offence.

Where the Operations Are Focused

Kent Police have confirmed that dispersal orders have been implemented across a number of coastal towns, including Whitstable, Margate and Broadstairs. The designated areas have covered town centres, seafronts and railway stations, according to the force and reporting by the BBC.

Operations in the Thanet area — covering Margate and Broadstairs — have been supported by neighbourhood policing patrols. In Whitstable, which falls under the Canterbury district, the dispersal zone has similarly included the town centre and seafront. The orders are time-limited, commonly running for 48 hours, and are geographically defined to manage movement and gatherings in specific locations.

The Scale of the Problem Police Say They Are Responding To

Kent Police have stated publicly that the summer operation is a response to high volumes of antisocial behaviour reports received during previous summers. A figure of more than 10,000 antisocial behaviour reports received during one summer has been cited in Kent Police social media communications, though that specific figure has not been independently verified against published official Kent Police statistics and should be treated as unverified.

Nationally, police forces in England and Wales record hundreds of thousands of antisocial behaviour incidents annually, with Kent’s contribution broadly consistent with its population size and its profile as a significant coastal tourism destination, according to Office for National Statistics and Home Office crime statistics.

Concerns Raised About the Approach

Civil liberties groups and some youth advocates have raised concerns about the potential for dispersal orders to disproportionately affect young people, including questions about profiling at stations and the risk of treating routine socialising as a policing matter. Some residents and businesses, by contrast, have welcomed visible enforcement and the confiscation of alcohol as responses to noise, vandalism and disorder in public spaces during busy summer periods.

Local councils, including Thanet District Council and Canterbury City Council, work alongside Kent Police on community safety strategies, though dispersal powers themselves rest with the police under the 2014 Act.

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Key Takeaways

• Kent Police are stopping individuals — including under-18s travelling with alcohol — at railway stations and issuing dispersal orders as part of a summer antisocial behaviour operation across Kent’s coastal towns.
• Dispersal orders, issued under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, allow officers to direct people away from defined areas for up to 48 hours; those who return risk arrest, and under-18s within the zones risk having alcohol and other items confiscated.
• Operations have been confirmed in Whitstable, Margate and Broadstairs, with zones covering town centres, seafronts and railway stations, supported by neighbourhood policing patrols.

What This Means for Kent Residents

Young people travelling by rail to coastal areas in Kent — especially Whitstable, Margate and Broadstairs during weekends and school holidays — may be stopped by officers at stations if police reasonably suspect they could be involved in antisocial behaviour. Under-18s carrying alcohol within a dispersal zone may have it confiscated, and other items such as portable speakers may also be seized. Parents and carers of younger children should be aware that if a child is subject to a dispersal order, they may be contacted by officers. Anyone directed to leave a dispersal zone should comply, as returning within the specified period — typically 48 hours — carries the risk of arrest. Rail users at coastal stations may encounter officers conducting patrols or dispersal operations as part of these summer measures.