Section 60 order enacted – Whitley

Officers have put in place a Section 60 order in Whitley following reports of disorder in Staverton Road at around 12.30pm this afternoon (29/12).

A 36-year-old man and a 39-year-old man, both from Reading have been arrested in connection with the incident and remain in custody.

No one was injured in the incident.

The order has been put in place to prevent potential serious violence in the area defined in the map below.

The area is defined by the following boundaries: Starting at the Basingstoke Road (B3031) junction with Christchurch Road, it follows Basingstoke Road down to the Hartland Road junction. It continues along Hartland Road, which becomes Whitley Wood Road, and ends at the Shinfield Road junction. From there, it follows Shinfield Road, which becomes Christchurch Road, then back to the junction with Basingstoke Road.

The order will be in place for 24 hours and is due to expire at 1.33pm tomorrow (30/12). The order will be reviewed tomorrow and may be extended for another 24 hours.

A Section 60 order can only be put in place in a defined area at a specific time when a senior officer believes there is a possibility of serious violence, or weapons being carried.

The order temporarily enhances powers for officers, meaning they can stop and search anyone in a designated area, shown on the map below.

Inspector John Yallop said: “We have put this Section 60 order in place in Whitley to prevent potential violence.

“The order will give our officers extra powers to carry out stop and search activity, and has been enacted for the safety of the public.

“These are emergency powers and the threshold to implement them is very high, however we are using them to keep our communities safe.

“You will see more police officers in the area while the order is in place and we expect to carry out more stop and searches than usual.

“If you are stopped by an officer, please do not be worried as this does not mean that you are in trouble.

“If you are in the area and have any concerns, you can speak to any of our officers who will be on patrol throughout this evening and tomorrow.

“Anyone with footage or witness information about the disorder on Staverton Road this afternoon is asked to call 101 or make a report online quoting investigation reference number 43240627118.

 “Alternatively, you can provide information anonymously to the independent charity, Crimestoppers, by calling 0800 555 111 or via its website.”

For more information on stop and search, visit here.

AP