Pupils at a Canvey junior school have had their say on new dispersal powers giving police the authority to tell children to go home after 9pm.
The powers, under the Anti-Social Behaviour Act, impose 9pm curfews on youths and mean police can disperse groups of two or more people.
However, the powers have had mixed reviews by Year 5 children, aged nine, who attend Leigh Beck Junior School, Point Road.
One child said in a letter to the Evening Echo: "I think the curfew is a good idea because there will be no more graffiti on walls. There will not be any fights or children hurt.
"Children will have more time to do homework and to sleep."
Another Year Five pupil disagreed with the laws, and said: "In this world there are serial killers, madmen, and lots of other lunatics.
"There isn't a curfew for them."
Police imposed the curfews to put a stop to exceptional levels of vandalism and anti-social behaviour.
Published Tuesday May 25, 2004
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