ANTI-social behaviour in Harestock is declining, according to police.

Officers said groups of children had been causing problems outside shops in Priors Dean Road but that they had successfully tackled the issue.

Speaking at a Partnership and Communities Together (PACT) meeting in Harestock, PC Robin Tebb said: “Children were making noise, running around roofs of garages and revving cars and mopeds and because of the nature of the area the neighbourhood suffered.

“We just kept saturating the area with officers. We confiscated tobacco and poured alcohol away. We would go down and get details of children and take them to their parents and inform them of their behaviour.

“We encouraged the parents to take charge of their children and it has worked very effectively. They got the message and we have had very little trouble recently.”

He added if problems were to resurface the police could take out a dispersal order for the area, preventing groups massing in public.

A similar order comes into force in Stanmore on Saturday (Dec 1).