Police are tackling the growing problem of anti social behaviour in the centre of Midsomer Norton by imposing a no-go area which allows them to ban people causing trouble.

The Dispersal Area was imposed on Friday night following what officers said was a high level of problem behaviour.

It is not clear how long the area outlined as problematic will be in place, but it means that officers and PCSOs can slap a ban on anyone causing problems and keep them out for 48 hours. It can legally be imposed for up to six months.

The problem of anti social behaviour along the High Street has been an issue for some time both late at night and more recently in the day during the last school holiday. Traders and pub owners have expressed big concerns that the council decided to cut the budget for people to patrol the street at key times.

One owner who wanted to remain anonymous told Nub News : " Losing the street marshals have meant the town is becoming more difficult for the venues to deal with the issues that were managed very well previously. "

The police have also asked parents to make sure they know where their children are, as the last big problem in the High Street involved a gang of school- aged children going from shop to shop.

This is the area of dispersal

The full announcement :

"Due to a high level of anti social behaviour in the area last night 27/05/23 a Dispersal Area has been placed on Midsomer Norton High Street and the surrounding areas.

The power enables a Police officer or PCSO to issue a direction to leave the area for up to 48 hours if someone's behaviour is causing or likely to cause harassment, alarm or crime or disorder in the public place specified.

We encourage parents and carers to speak to children about where they choose to hang around this weekend. "