A 12-YEAR-OLD boy and three 14-year-olds were arrested for assaulting a police officer and causing damage inside a pub on Thursday evening.

A dispersal order has now been placed on Darwen town centre after weeks of escalating behaviour from big gangs of youths in the area.

The groups of teenagers - which can sometimes number more than 30 - have been responsible for shouting abusive language, scrawling graffiti, damaging bus shelters and theft.

They are also thought to be responsible for scrawling obscene graffiti on the peregrine falcon statue that was recently revealed on the town’s market square after a £1.5million revamp.

Large letters with a rude message about the police were scrawled on the back of the bird.

Sergeant Shaun Pearson said: “This dispersal order gives the police the power to exclude people from the identified area until Sunday evening if they have or are likely to cause members of the public in the locality harassment, alarm or distress, or prevent crime.

“I know there is strong sentiment in the town about the actions of this core group and I would like to offer reassurance that we have been and will continue to take action to address this anti-social behaviour and criminality.

“We have taken this step as their behaviour has escalated and often other youths in the area join in thinking it is ‘just a laugh,’ It isn’t and we will enforce this order robustly. I would ask parents in town if they actually know where their children are when they go out.”

The dispersal order, also known as a Section 34, is active from 4.30pm on Friday until 4.30pm on Sunday. Anyone who witnesses criminal behaviour should report it.