Police have been given additional powers this weekend to deal with anti-social behaviour in a family park.

Earlier this month, it was reported that police were being called most nights of the week to gangs of more than 30 youths causing destruction at Faversham Rec.

Mobs of teenagers are reportedly smoking cannabis, drinking under-age and smashing the bottles, vandalising the buildings, leaving laughing gas canisters strewn on the ground and pulling out plants and goal posts.

But tonight, police have announced they will be extending a dispersal order which was due to end at 5pm today (Friday, November 13) for a further 48 hours until 5pm on Sunday, November 15.

This gives officers and PCSOs the power to disperse anyone suspected of acting in an anti-social way.

Sergeant Tim Hill, of the Community Safety Unit, said: "A dispersal order has been put in place following a number of concerns of anti-social behaviour in the area.

"Local policing officers have been targeting their patrols at the recreation ground to deter nuisance behaviour.

"Early reports suggest that the minority of people who were causing anti-social behaviour have stayed away from the area without formal police intervention.

"I have personally been to the park and spoken with a number of young people who have been extremely well behaved and were a credit to their families and the community.

"However, there is a small minority who do not respect others and cause anti-social behaviour at the park, and we will continue to focus patrols at the recreation ground for as long as it takes."

Members of the Faversham Rugby Club said earlier this month that the situation is getting "completely out of hand".

A spokesman for the group had said: "It can be a really intimidating place to be and we know a lot of people who won’t walk around there once it’s got dark.”