Officers were out on the streets of Berwick Hills again last night, as a coordinated police crackdown on disorder continued.
A Dispersal Order was in place around the Middlesbrough estate from 4pm on Friday night, with police conducting stop and search patrols.
Resources centred on the Crossfell Road footbridge over to the Belle Vue estate, a hotspot for trouble.
The footbridge saw the culmination of weeks of anti-social behaviour on Wednesday night, with gangs of youths threatening and assaulting several passersby.
Victims included a 14-year-old girl who was forced to hand over her mobile, and a 26-year-old man who suffered injuries requiring hospital treatment.
It sparked a huge police response involving the force helicopter and dog section.
A total of four youths, aged 13, 14, 15 and 16, were arrested, but “released under investigation”.
Calling recent anti-social behaviour levels “unacceptably high”, Cleveland Police said it is reviewing CCTV footage from various locations in a bid to make further arrests.
The escalating disorder has prompted a wholesale crackdown, with officers resorting to a range of measures:
• Holding “pro-active dedicated patrols” with body-worn cameras
• Imposing Dispersal Orders and directing groups of youths out of the area, taking them home or arresting them if they refuse to leave
• Working with Middlesbrough Council to improve the CCTV and lighting in the area
No further incidents were reported around the Crossfell Road footbridge last night, in an early sign that the heightened police prescence is working.
But fear is still rife, with some shopkeepers on Norfolk Shops parade labelling the estate a “no-go zone” amid spiralling yobbish behaviour.
A Facebook post from Middlesbrough Neighbourhood Policing Team last night said: “Officers have been out force in the area tonight, responding quickly to any situations that have arisen.”
It added: “Officers will continue their patrols in the problem areas, working with our partner agencies to ensure that the youths realise that their behaviour is totally unacceptable, will not be tolerated and will not go unpunished.”
Information can be passed to Cleveland Police using the non-emergency number 101.
