A CURFEW to keep disorderly youths away from a shopping centre has had to be scrapped on a legal technicality.

But a new ban, known as a dispersal order, came into effect at the Gibside Shopping Centre in Chester-le-Street this week.

The previous order came into force on March 1 after Durham Police claimed that the late-night behaviour of up to 40 children, some as young as 10, had caused four of the six shopkeepers there to pack up and leave.

The lives of people living and working in this area were blighted by underaged drinking, drugs, anti-social behaviour, graffiti, violence, harassment and abuse.

The order, in force for six months, gave officers the power to order groups of two or more youngsters to leave the area, tell non-residents to move on and not return for 24 hours and, if necessary, escort under-16s back to their homes between 9pm and 6am.

To meet legal requirements, notices were placed in the area seven days before it came into force, outlining the nature of the order and the powers under which it had been issued.

But although no objections were raised to the Chester-le-Street order, a legal challenge to similar measures in South Yorkshire queried the wording of the seven-day notices.

That legal challenge was successful, meaning other forces with orders in place had to withdraw them.

But Durham Police, which withdrew its order in Gibside on Tuesday, has posted new seven-day notices.

It means a fresh dispersal order took effect on Wednesday to run until the end of August.

Chester-le-Street Community Inspector Paul Anderson said: "The new order has exactly the same terms of reference as before and it will continue to be used as a means of tackling anti-social behaviour in the area.

"Since March there has been a significant improvement in the quality of life for people in the Gibside area. We will do everything we can to ensure that continues."

The dispersal order was brought in under section 30 of the Anti-Social Behaviour Act.