A NEW legal order to curb drunken, threatening or abusive behaviour on Weymouth Esplanade came into force today.

Dorset Police Western Division commander Superintendent Geoff Brazier joined forces with Weymouth and Portland council to renew a Section 30 order under the 2003 Anti-Social Behaviour Act.

The new order - which will run for four months until the end of February 2006 - gives police extensive powers to tackle anti-social behaviour.

They will be targeting drunks, bottle-throwing youths, abusive behaviour, fighting and alcohol-fuelled disorder.

Police are being backed in their campaign by the council whose chief executive Tom Grainger said: "I am aware that there are continued significant and persistent instances of anti-social behaviour along Greenhill Beach and Weymouth Esplanade including the areas of Alexandra Gardens, the Pleasure Pier, the Pavilion and associated car parks.

"These were acts carried out by groups of youths and their anti-social behaviour including anti-social driving with no regard to members of the public, the shouting of verbal abuse at passers by and council staff causing individuals to feel intimidated, alarmed and distressed.

"Instances of anti-social behaviour also include groups of adults drinking alcohol in the Victorian shelters along the Esplanade and on the beach being verbally abusive and using threatening behaviour causing individuals to feel intimidated, alarmed and distressed."

He said these reports and other evidence meant the council backed Section 30 authorisation being given to police to cover the affected area.

Superintendent Brazier said: "I consider that members of the public have been intimidated, harassed, alarmed or distressed by groups of people in the relevant locality and that anti-social behaviour is a significant and persistent problem in that locality."

He added that under the order a constable or police community support officer in uniform with reasonable grounds for believing that the presence or behaviour of a group of two or more people in public in the relevant locality could lead to the public being intimidated, harassed, alarmed or distressed could issue one or more directions.

These include a direction to disperse, a direction to leave the relevant locality and a direction not to return there for up to 24 hours, he said.

Superintendent Brazier added that the "relevant locality" in the order included the Esplanade between the Pleasure Pier and Dorchester Road; Greenhill between Dorchester Road and Preston Beach Road; the promenade between the Pleasure Pier and Preston Beach Road; the beach area between the Pleasure Pier and Preston Beach Road; the Pleasure Pier and associated car parks; Weymouth Pavilion and associated car parks; Alexandra Gardens and the immediate bordering roads namely the Esplanade; Brunswick Terrace and Greenhill Gardens including the chalet area and Sluice Gardens.