Police have issued a stop and search public order covering a large part of both Greenwich and Bexley in an attempt to break up and prevent antisocial behaviour.

Greenwich Met Police have authorised Section 60 search powers for today, January 9, from 3pm until 5am on Friday morning.

The stop and search order covers several wards within the borough of Greenwich; Woolwich Riverside, Woolwich Common, Plumstead, Charlton, Abbey Wood, Shooters Hill, Thamesmead Moorings, Glydon and Peninsular.

It also stretches over to Bexley, covering Thamesmead East, Belvedere, West Heath, Northumberland Heath and Erith, as outlined in the map.

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A Section 60 Criminal Justice and Public Order Act gives police the right to search people in a defined area during a specific time period when they believe that serious violence will take place and it's necessary to use this power to prevent such violence, or if serious violence has taken place locally.

Police previously authorised a similar order just on Christmas Eve, and when a surge in knife crime saw three men stabbed in London in one day.