PEOPLE living in a troubled part of Worcester have been urged to put the heart back into their community after increasing incidents of anti-social behaviour forced the police to apply for powers to tackle young tearaways .

A Section 30 Dispersal Order will come into force in Ronkswood for six months at 6pm tonight in and around Lichfield Avenue, and in the area around the community centre in Canterbury Drive. This means that if there are reports of rowdy or anti-social behaviour at any time of day, police can break up groups of two or more people, and anyone defying them can be arrested and prosecuted.

Officers can, after 9pm, also escort from page home any children under 16 who are unaccompanied by an adult.

The move comes after weeks of complaints from residents about intimidating groups of youths drinking

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and hanging around the streets, verbal abuse and vandalism to cars and property.

The order will form part of a Put The Heart Back Into Ronkswood campaign - which is being launched by groups including the police, Worcester City Council, the county council, Worcester Community Housing, local stores and youth groups - to try and get Ronkswood residents to take pride in where they live.

Sgt Chris Allen, Anti-Social Behaviour Co-ordinator for the South Worcestershire Community Safety partnership, said: "The order will create a better environment for a much larger package of improvements to be introduced, with the support of the community."

This 'package of improvements' - including street cleaning, litter picks and a purge on rubbish-laden front gardens - will begin this Saturday.

Ronkswood city councillor Mike Layland, said a tremendous amount of work had been going on to get the campaign off the ground.

"I'm fed up of people saying 'the area is not like it used to be'," he said. "But we're going to work this out.

"We are going to have a blitz and tidy this area up and I know that with the residents' help, we can put the heart back into Ronkswood."

The first litter-pick and street-cleaning meeting will take place in Lichfield Avenue from 9.30am on Saturday morning and all local residents are being urged to turn up and take part. "All the local outlets are involved and the fish and chip shop is even opening to give people free chip butties," Mr Layland added. "We need to work together on this one."

Where the Section 30 Dispersal Order will be in place:

Land in and around Lichfield Avenue.

Westminster Road.

Norwich Road.

Exeter Road.

Wells Road.

Land in and around the Community Centre in Canterbury Road.