Residents in a Cardiff suburb put under a police order due to anti-social behaviour have said a clampdown is "a long time coming" after vandalism, abuse and "terrorising" in recent months.
On Tuesday Caerau was placed under a section 35 dispersal order which allows police to exclude anyone from the area for up to 48 hours to reduce the risk of anti-social behaviour or disorder. South Wales Police said it "had some issues in the area involving groups of children and youths" and had launched investigations to identify those involved.
The order, which covers a large part of Cowbridge Road West and along Caerau Lane, also gives police the power to remove anyone under 16 and take them to where they live or a safe place. It was in place until 6pm on Wednesday, February 23.
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Speaking to WalesOnline on Wednesday, residents said the area has been suffering from anti-social behaviour.
Brian Davies, who lives in Caerau, said he and his wife Diane had been unaware of the police order but that there were issues.
"We've not heard anything about a dispersal order. We don't have trouble ourselves because we live further up the road," he said.
"It'll be because of the [Lidl] supermarket there. The sheltered area of the shop is not shut off at night, so you get kids - maybe 13 or 14 - hanging around there in big groups. They've got motorbikes, and you see get them driving at cars, things like that. Causing trouble really."
Diane added: "They just look at you, they don't care. You say anything to them and they just shout at you."
Waiting at the bus stop on Cowbridge Road West, local resident Mary, who didn't want to give her surname, said the dispersal order had been "a long time coming".
"It's about time. It's been going on for months now, but it's been escalating," she said. "You've got gangs going around on their scooters, terrorising people. If anyone says anything they get a few slaps, get shouted at, threatened.
"An older man and his wife nearly got driven into by people on scooters and they asked them not to, and just started getting shouted at, intimated, abused. That was maybe three or four weeks ago.
"It's unbelievable. People are afraid to go out of their own homes. They're afraid to go to the police because they'll get their windows smashed or something.
"Do you know what, it's the vulnerable people they're targeting. Older people who can't defend themselves. They're only kids, maybe 16 or 17. Something needs to be done about it because nothing is. Especially as the weather starts to get better."
Another resident who didn't want to be named lives near Tesco Express on Cowbridge Road West, which also falls within the section 35 boundary.
"We have some issues here, with young people parking in front of my drive and on a few occasions I've not been able to get out," she said.
"I have asked them to move and been told I'll just have to wait. I have been abused and called all the names. Since they built the Tesco - God it must be at least five years - we have had problems. We've had our tyres broken (slashed), our windows broken. It never was like that before that, when it was just a garage."
Other residents, however, said they were surprised at the dispersal order and said they didn't feel the area suffered from many issues.
Harry, who also didn't want to give his surname, said: "I've lived here for ten years and overall its alright. I've never been attacked. I've never had any problems myself. You get the odd few problems with people hanging around, vandalism, doing their bits and pieces. But it only happens from time to time. It isn't constant.
"I've lived in places in London and places like that, where it has been a lot worse. Things happening all the time, really bad. But here it's not like that at all. I've never felt unsafe walking around."
A South Wales Police spokesperson said: “Over the last few days, we have had some issues in the area involving groups of children and youths.
“Rest assured we have launched investigations to identify those involved in those incidents.
“This type of anti-social behaviour just won’t be tolerated in our communities which is why we have put in place this dispersal order which gives officers extra powers to arrest anyone causing problems, remove anyone under the age of 16 and take them home or to a safe place.
“We have extra officers out patrolling to keep things in check.”
An initial statement from the force on Tuesday said the dispersal order under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 had been put in place "following reports of anti-social behaviour" until 6pm on Wednesday February 23, 2022.
"The power is preventative and allows an officer to deal quickly with someone’s behaviour before it escalates," it added.
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