TROUBLEMAKERS who cause problems for travellers at Poole Bus Station were visited by plain-clothed detectives during a crackdown last week.

The station outside the Dolphin Centre has been the site of increasing issues over the past few months.

In late December, a man in his 40s suffered a broken jaw and other facial injuries after he was attacked by a group of young people.

The incident was filmed and posted on Facebook, where it was widely shared before being removed.

Two 16-year-old boys and two boys aged 13 and 15, all from Poole, have been arrested.

Last week, officers from Dorset Police – including PCs from Poole's neighbourhood policing team, a police dog and handler and plain-clothed detectives – carried out a string of targeted raids in the town.

Neighbourhood Inspector Ady Thompson, of Poole police said, 'numerous stop-checks' were carried out during the campaign.

In addition, one miscreant was served with notice of a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) application, a letter was given banning an individual from part of the bus station, and a number of young people were given verbal warnings for "unacceptable behaviour".

If made in a court, a CBO can ban offender from carrying out a series of stringent conditions.

Insp Thompson said: “While no arrests were made on the day, we gathered a lot of intelligence to allow us to continue to build on what we already know about anti-social behaviour (ASB) in Poole.

“Our aim throughout the week has been to target and disrupt any potential ASB from occurring by carrying out high-visibility patrols.

“As with any town centre and single point transport hub, there are peak times when problems could occur, such as the late evenings and at the weekend.

"However, to continue to try and prevent this and reduce the impact on members of the public using the site, the police will carry on conducting regular patrols on foot alongside our partners to support local businesses, while also dealing with the individuals involved.”