New dispersal order after protests at religious HQ

A dispersal order around a religious group's headquarters in Cheshire has been extended to help provide reassurance to local residents.

Following police raids on 29 April at Webb House, and two other properties in Crewe linked to the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light (AROPL), officers said they had been dealing with a number of protests outside the premises.

"While the vast majority of the protests have been peaceful, there have been a small number of isolated incidents which have resulted in arrests and minor disruption in the local area," a spokesperson for the force said.

A dispersal order which began at 22:00 on Monday will now be in place until 22:00 on Friday.

It gives officers the power to direct people away from the area for up to 48 hours if they are involved or likely to be involved in anti-social behaviour, crime or disorder.

Anyone who failed to comply with the direction would face further police action, the force added.

Ch Insp Matt Sanders, head of Crewe's local police unit, thanked the local community for their support and patience over recent weeks.

"While we understand that everyone has the right to protest peacefully, it's also important to remember that residents also have the right to go about their daily business as normal," he said.

"We know that the protests outside Webb House are likely to continue, however we would ask those attending to remain peaceful and respect the local community.

"Anyone who fails to do so will be dealt with by officers."

He added that officers would continue to maintain an increased police presence in the local area.

Earlier this week, four people were arrested after "several incidents of disorder and disruption" were reported to police, with two of those subsequently charged and due to appear in court.

Two others were released - one on bail and one facing no further action.

In addition, five people were arrested in May following disorder outside the headquarters, four of whom have been released on bail and one facing no further action.

AROPL hit the headlines following a large-scale police raid at its headquarters at the end of April.

It followed allegations of serious sexual offences, forced marriage and modern slavery among members of the religious group.

This led to 12 members of the organisation being arrested, and interim anti-slavery orders being imposed on seven of them.

There were also 25 people arrested for obstruction during the police investigation. They were later charged and are due to appear in court later this month.

There have been growing tensions in the area since the police raids, with video footage shared by AROPL online has shown people trying to force open the gates to the premises and throwing projectiles over the wall.

The posted on Facebook, saying there had been "more than a month of sustained hostile protests, including multiple reported assaults, attempted arson, trespassing, vandalism, racial abuse and hate speech."

Events this week had marked "a serious escalation," they added.

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