"COVID consequences" led to some letting off too much lockdown steam in Leigh - leading to two dispersal orders in one weekend.

Leigh and Chalkwell both saw dispersal orders on Friday and Sunday night, due to large groups getting drunk and behaving anti-socially.

The latest order lasted from 7pm on Sunday to 11.59pm yesterday and covered most of the seafront at Leigh, granting police powers to move on groups that gathered in the area.

Martin Terry, councillor responsible for community safety, said the dispersals were justified as a temporary solution to "explosions of emotions" from people wanting to go out.

He said: "Some people are misbehaving and consuming too much alcohol.

"I feared all along - we had cases of this last year - of Covid consequences - young people getting pent up, thinking they will do what they want to do.

"It's a sad reflection, it does beg the question if all parents of the younger people are challenging them about where they are going to.

"We will use dispersal orders when necessary, we want people to behave themselves when here."

He added: "There are pent up frustrations, they have been locked up preventing them doing what they would ordinarily do, it's an explosion of emotions to go out and have fun.

"But there is always the cases that go too far."

The dispersal orders over the weekend come at the end of a long line of incidents in Leigh and Old Leigh where big groups ignoring Covid regulations have had to be moved on.

Old Leigh has been plagued with many incidents including people urinating in the streets, rubbish left strewn across the Old Town and crowds gathering.

Superintendent Bonnie Moore said: "These orders are here to keep everyone safe, and to ensure that the community can continue their daily lives without fear of antisocial behaviour or disorder, particularly when the weather is nice and crowds gather in places like Leigh or Chalkwell.

“We listen to members of the community – whether that’s people living in the towns, community leaders, or business owners – and we act swiftly to address their concerns to ensure they feel safe and secure.

“Thankfully, once the dispersal orders have been put in place, we’ve had little need for extra enforcement, and most people have been enjoying their time by the seaside responsibly and with little disruption to the local community."