A police officer has defended a scheme to split up troublemakers in Chatham after traders claimed it had not worked.

Sgt Dave Venus-Coppard said the dispersal zone in the All Saints area, which lasted two months, brought down the number of anti-social behaviour calls a month from 61 to just 18.

However, traders said they noticed little difference - and claimed no one told them it had been launched.

Linda Matthews, who has run an estate agency in Luton Road since 1994, said: "It hasn't helped us at all, as the youths still congregate.

"I think we should have been informed. It is a problem for us because our office is quite female-orientated, so we find it quite intimidating."

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