An entire coastal town on the south coast of England was effectively locked down on Sunday evening by police to ensure the safe landing of an illegal migrant boat from France. The Hampshire Constabulary took the unprecedented action of issuing a dispersal order for the whole town of Gosport on Sunday in a bid to prevent local protesters from blocking the arrival of a migrant boat carrying 120 illegals into their town, the Portsmouth Evening News reported.
The police force invoked Section 14 of the Public Order Act 1986 across the entire area of Gosport, meaning officers could order residents to disperse from anywhere in the town on penalty of arrest. However, they created a special protest zone in the local Walpole car park. The dispersal order will remain in place until 4 pm local time on Monday. Hampshire Constabulary also issued orders barring protesters from wearing masks or other face coverings, under Section 158 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026 and Section 60AA of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994.
