Section 60 and Section 60AA authorised across Bolton

A Section 60 and Section 60AA have been authorised across Bolton, following an early Section 34 dispersal notice.

Under a Section 60, officers have extra powers to stop and search people in defined areas within a specific timeframe. A Section 60AA authority allows us to require people to remove face coverings used to disguise or conceal their appearance.

These temporary powers will be enforced until 10pm today (Sunday 4 August 2024) and have been authorised as part of our policing response to keep communities safe and prevent harm and disorder with increased protest activity.

Chief Inspector Natasha Evans said: “We are working with organisers of the pre-planned protests to help facilitate peaceful protest and prevent disruption.

“You will see we continue to have a large presence in the town and these additional powers, on top of those authorised earlier which allow us to disperse crowds, will allow us to prevent incidents and keep people safe.

“If you are unsure about anything, speak with one of our officers on the ground, they are there to help.”

You can contact us on 101, or report an incident via gmp.police.uk or call the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111. Always dial 999 in an emergency.