A DISPERSAL order was imposed on the site of a former residential home in Warminster this week.

The order was imposed by police for 48 hours, starting on Monday and ending today (Wednesday), at the former Woodmead Residential Home site in Portway, following a number of reports of youths entering the site and forcing their way into the derelict building before causing damage.

Reports also mentioned that members of the public were being subjected to verbal abuse by the youths when they tried to stop them.

A police spokesman said: “This behaviour is unacceptable, and despite the building being derelict it does not give anyone the right to cause to damage to it.

“The risks the groups are taking when being present on the site is also not worth it, they are putting themselves at serious risk of injury.”

Police have been in talks with Wiltshire Council, which owns the building, to try and secure the site further.