Police are taking action after '˜spike' in public order offences in Mablethorpe

Matt Bennison, Coast Area Neighbourhood Policing Inspector, said he made the decision to enforce a Section 35 Dispersal Order to help prevent future violence or disorder taking place in the town.

The order, which was implemented in the town last weekend, means that police officers can issue the notice to individuals they suspect may be intending to cause trouble - and can ask them to leave the area for a maximum of 48 hours.

If they fail to do so, officers can arrest them for breaching the order.

These steps have been taken following a rise in violent incidents in Mablethorpe, which has included two serious assaults.

Inspector Bennison said it had been an ‘unfortunate few weeks’ for the town, but wants to reassure residents that Mablethorpe remains a safe place.

He told the Leader: “After seeing a recent spike in public order offences in Mablethorpe, we issued a Section 35 Dispersal Order over the weekend.

“The order will now continune until we are satisfied and the issues are resolved. We are also increasing our police presence.”

Inspector Bennison added the police have recognised a ‘short term blip’ in increased incidents, involving a small group, and investigations are ongoing.

He said Mablethorpe has had a quiet start to the year, with only a small number of calls being made to the police - but he has urged residents to report any incidents they know about.

He added: “We rely on information from the public in order for us to investigate incidents accordingly,so we urge all residents to please call us on 101 if they have anything to report.”