The special law could stop youths meeting up and causing trouble.

The news came at a meeting of the council's executive board.

Ward councillors agreed an order should be studied.

Cllr Gregory Swift said: "You can get stones thrown at houses and mud thrown at windows.

"By the park there's three houses in a row up for sale. These people want to clear off.

"It requires a police presence. The problem is they come out at 6pm and the kids turn up at 8pm.

"I think a dispersal order should be seriously considered."

Cllr David Findon said: "There's youths climbing over property, throwing things and generally being abusive.

"I am not too hopeful that we will end up with a proper solution from the police but at least they have said they are looking at an order.

"It needs to be considered quite seriously as a possibility."

He said an order would only be a short-term solution until the youths were given some direction.

The news an order had been considered came at a meeting of Halton Council's executive board, in a presentation by the head of the youth service David Williams.

From front page

Dispersal orders were introduced by the Government in 2003.

The police can apply for them so if two or more people in the dispersal area who cause trouble or alarm, they can be made to leave - and if they refuse or return within 24 hours they can be arrested.

Widnes police inspector Chris Clarke said: "We are tackling anti-social behaviour at Upton Rocks and a number of arrests have been made.

"A number of tactics are available to us to tackle the issue in the longer term and a dispersal order is one option, but it is not something we are planning for the immediate future."

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