Police say the first dispersal order used in Reading, Berkshire, has boosted residents' confidence in police.

It was brought in to fight anti-social behaviour in Caversham over the summer following complaints about groups of up to 40 teenagers causing trouble.

The council says it will ask police to use the orders to ban yobs from areas across the town.

The only person who did not know about it was a male from Whitley and he was also the only person we had to arrest for breaching the order Insp Graham Dix

Tony Page, the borough council's lead councillor for community action, said: "The success of this dispersal order north of the river means that I will be urging the police to apply similar orders if the need arises in other parts of the borough.

"As with Asbos these dispersal orders are a tool of last resort.

"Irresponsible and anti-social youths and gangs now know that this is an effective power that we will have no hesitation in deploying in Reading."

The dispersal order gives police the power to move on potential troublemakers and ban them from returning to a specific area for 24 hours.

High-profile patrols were also used in Caversham between July and September to impose the order.

Teenagers warned

About 50 parents were written to after their children were stopped and spoken to in the dispersal area.

Insp Graham Dix said: "The dispersal order worked well as everyone knew about it.

"All of the youths we spoke to were aware of the order and what it meant.

"The only person who did not know about it was a male from Whitley and he was also the only person we had to arrest for breaching the order."