Dispersal order issued in Barnham after members of the public, security staff and police assaulted at railway station

The dispersal order, which gives police officers the power to disperse any groups gathering in the area and order them not to return, was introduced at 2pm yesterday, and will remain effective until 2pm tomorrow (April 2).

Members of the public can expect to see a heightened police presence in the area during this time, a police spokesperson said. The order comes after an incident of disorder at Barnham Railway Station itself on Saturday evening, during which time members of the public, security staff and police officers were all assaulted.

Afterwards, four girls, aged 13, 14, 15 and 16, were arrested on suspicion of offences, including assaulting an emergency worker and possession of cannabis. All have since been bailed on the condition that they stay well away from the railway station.

Inspector Ross Wickings of the Neighbourhood Policing Team said: “We have done a lot of work with the community and partners in Barnham to tackle recent anti-social behaviour, and have been targeting our resources in areas we know have been impacted.

“Unfortunately, over the Easter weekend, we have seen groups of people travel into the village from elsewhere in Sussex and this has resulted in an unacceptable incident of disorder at the railway station on Saturday evening. We have worked with our colleagues in the British Transport Police to respond to and investigate these incidents.

“We have put a dispersal order in place to allow our officers to direct people to leave the area if we believe they are likely to commit or become involved in anti-social behaviour, crime or disorder.

“This is just one of the steps being taken to ensure the people in Barnham are safe and can feel safe. We will also have officers carrying out dedicated patrols and ensuring there is a high-visibility police presence in the village.

“We encourage people to speak to police if they have any concerns and to always report incidents to us, either online or by calling 101. Always dial 999 in an emergency.”

Any information or video footage relating to the disorder at Barnham Railway Station can be reported via the same channels quoting serial 1307 of 30/03.