Essex Police dispersal orders cover parts of Greenstead, Shrub End and Stanway until 4pm on Sunday 1 November. The force's three maps and what the power allows.
Dispersal orders cover parts of Greenstead, Shrub End and Stanway until 4pm today, Sunday 1 November. Essex Police put them in place for the Halloween weekend to stop anti-social behaviour.
The orders started at 4pm on Saturday 31 October and run for 24 hours. The force announced them in a statement on its website at 4pm on Saturday.
What the order lets officers do
Inside the three zones, Essex Police says the order gives officers the power to order people to leave if they believe they are:
- acting anti-socially
- harassing other members of the public
- alarming other members of the public
Inspector Martin Willsher said: “This order is to ensure everyone can enjoy their Halloween weekend without being affected by others acting anti-socially.”
He added that it gives “the officers on patrol in this area an important and specific power to keep everyone safe”.
Where the three zones are
The force published a map for each area. The zones cover parts of the neighbourhoods, not the whole of each ward.
Greenstead. The map at the top of this page shows the largest zone. It runs inside the A133 (St Andrews Avenue and Harwich Road) on its western side and Bromley Road to the north, taking in the estate, the library and the sports and leisure centre.
Shrub End. A roughly triangular zone over the residential streets of Shrub End, south-west of the city centre.
Stanway. The zone sits south of the A12 at Beacon End and covers central Stanway, including the streets around the library.
Our descriptions are read from the force’s maps. If you are unsure whether a street is inside a zone, the maps on the Essex Police statement are the authority.
How much anti-social behaviour these wards record
We counted anti-social behaviour reports in the three council wards using police.uk street-level data for the 12 months to August 2026, the latest month published. Ward boundaries are the ONS May 2024 wards. The wards are larger than the dispersal zones, so these figures describe the wider neighbourhoods.
| Ward | Reports, Sep 2025 to Aug 2026 | Monthly average | October 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greenstead | 232 | 19.3 | 20 |
| Stanway | 143 | 11.9 | 11 |
| Shrub End | 79 | 6.6 | 2 |
Two things stand out:
- Last October was not a spike. Each ward recorded close to its usual monthly level in October 2025, and Shrub End recorded only two reports.
- Reports have risen this summer. Shrub End recorded 15 reports in July 2026 and 11 in August, its two highest months in the year. Greenstead recorded 26 in both June and July.
Stanway and Tollgate were already named an anti-social behaviour hotspot this autumn, with 22 weeks of extra patrols.
What it means for you
- The orders end at 4pm today. After that, officers no longer have the extra power in these zones.
- Being inside a zone is not an offence. The power applies to people officers believe are acting anti-socially, harassing or alarming others.
- To report anti-social behaviour, use the Essex Police website online or by Live Chat, or call 101. Call 999 if a crime is happening now or someone is in immediate danger.
Bonfire night is on Thursday. Our Colchester fireworks and bonfire night listings carry this year’s displays.
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