Cardiff Bay Police Powers Extended Until Sunday Afternoon 2026

Key Points

• South Wales Police has authorised a Section 35 dispersal order for Cardiff Bay.
• The order began at 4pm on Friday, August 21, 2026, and is scheduled to end at 4pm on Sunday, August 23.
• Police said the action followed recent reports of antisocial behaviour, including incidents involving vehicles.
• The order gives uniformed officers and Police Community Support Officers powers to direct certain people or groups to leave the designated area.
• A direction can prevent a person from returning to the specified area for up to 48 hours.
• The measure applies only within the area set out in the police authorisation and map.
• Section 35 powers are intended to prevent or reduce crime, disorder, harassment, alarm or distress.
• WalesOnline reported the order, while a South Wales Listens alert confirmed the 4pm Friday-to-Sunday timeframe.

Cardiff (Wales Times) August 21, 2026 — A Section 35 order has been introduced for most of the weekend, giving police additional powers to respond to antisocial behaviour in a designated part of the waterfront area.

As reported by WalesOnline, South uk/police/">Wales Police authorised the dispersal order following recent reports of antisocial behaviour, particularly incidents involving vehicles. The order began on Friday afternoon and will remain in force until 4pm on Sunday, August 23.

A separate public alert published through South Wales Listens stated that the order came into effect at 4pm on Friday, August 21, and would continue until 4pm on Sunday. The alert said the measure gives officers extra powers to deal with people acting in an antisocial manner.

The force has not, in the information reported, detailed individual incidents or named any people in connection with the latest order. The available information describes the action as a preventative policing measure rather than an announcement of arrests or criminal charges.

What is the Cardiff Bay Section 35 order?

The Cardiff Bay Section 35 order is a temporary dispersal authorisation under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. It allows police to use additional powers in a specified locality for a limited period.

Under Section 35, a uniformed constable may direct a person to leave the authorised locality, or a particular part of it, and not return for the period set out in the direction. The exclusion period cannot exceed 48 hours.

The legislation states that an officer must have reasonable grounds to suspect that a person’s behaviour has contributed, or is likely to contribute, to members of the public being harassed, alarmed or distressed, or to crime or disorder occurring in the area. The officer must also consider the direction necessary to reduce the likelihood of those outcomes.

Section 35 is therefore not a blanket requirement for everyone to leave Cardiff Bay. It is a power that can be used by officers against individuals or groups where the legal conditions are met within the designated zone.

When will the additional police powers apply?

The authorisation is in force from 4pm on Friday, August 21, until 4pm on Sunday, August 23, covering most of the weekend. WalesOnline reported that the order covers a defined Cardiff Bay area, with the boundary shown on an accompanying police map.

The available report refers to the designated area but does not provide a fully reliable written list of every street, route or landmark inside the boundary. Members of the public seeking to establish whether a specific location falls within the order should refer to the South Wales Police map or an officer at the scene.

The timing means the powers are available during busy weekend periods, when the bay can receive visitors using its restaurants, shops, public spaces and waterfront facilities. The order ends automatically at 4pm on Sunday unless a separate lawful authorisation is made.

What powers do officers and PCSOs have?

WalesOnline reported that the authorisation enables uniformed officers and Police Community Support Officers to tell individuals or groups to leave the designated public area for up to 48 hours in order to prevent potential crime, disorder or antisocial behaviour.

The statutory framework distinguishes between the authorisation for the area and a direction issued to a particular person. An authorisation must identify the locality and time period in which Section 35 powers can be used. The law provides that an officer of at least inspector rank may authorise those powers for a period of no more than 48 hours.

A direction issued under the power can require a person to leave all or part of the locality and not return during the exclusion period. The legislation allows an officer to specify when and by which route the person must leave. Directions are ordinarily given in writing, although they may be given orally where that is not reasonably practicable.

The law also sets limits. A Section 35 direction cannot be given to a person who appears to be under 10 years old. Where an officer believes a person is under 16, there are separate provisions concerning taking that young person home or to a place of safety.

Why has South Wales Police made the order?

According to WalesOnline’s report, South Wales Police introduced the order because of a rise in reports of antisocial behaviour, with vehicle-related incidents specifically identified as a concern.

The report does not state that every person using a vehicle in Cardiff Bay is suspected of wrongdoing, nor does it describe a specific alleged offence that triggered the authorisation. The order is aimed at providing officers with a power to intervene where behaviour meets the statutory threshold.

The legislation defines that threshold in terms of behaviour that has contributed, or is likely to contribute, to harassment, alarm, distress, crime or disorder. It also requires an officer to consider a direction necessary to prevent or reduce that risk.

This means the order is designed to give police an early intervention option in a defined area. Its use remains dependent on the circumstances encountered by officers and the legal test set out in the Act.

What happens if someone ignores a Section 35 direction?

A person who receives a Section 35 direction is expected to comply with its stated requirements, including leaving the specified place and not returning during the exclusion period.

Under Section 39 of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, a person who fails without reasonable excuse to comply with a Section 35 direction commits an offence.

The current reports do not provide details of any enforcement action connected to this Cardiff Bay order. South Wales Police has not been reported as announcing arrests, fixed penalties or the number of directions expected to be issued during the weekend.

Background: How have Section 35 powers been used in Cardiff Bay before?

Cardiff Bay has previously been subject to Section 35 dispersal orders during periods when police identified concerns about disorder or antisocial behaviour. In August 2020, South Wales Police announced an order for the Oval Basin area, explaining that the power allowed uniformed officers to exclude people for up to 48 hours as a way of preventing behaviour from escalating.

The legislative purpose of Section 35 is not confined to one type of conduct. It is a time-limited tool available to police where there is an authorised locality and where the statutory conditions apply to an individual’s behaviour. The power is intended to allow officers and PCSOs to direct a person who has committed, or is likely to commit, antisocial behaviour to leave an area and not return for up to 48 hours.

For the August 2026 authorisation, the stated local concern is recent antisocial behaviour involving vehicles. The order is due to expire on Sunday afternoon, meaning the additional power is limited to the period and geographical area authorised by South Wales Police.

Prediction: How could the order affect Cardiff Bay visitors and businesses?

For visitors, residents and workers in Cardiff Bay, the most immediate effect is likely to be a more visible police presence and the possibility of officers directing particular people or groups to leave if the legal conditions are met. The order does not prohibit ordinary access to the bay or apply automatically to everyone in the area.

Businesses and venue operators may see officers taking earlier action where alleged antisocial behaviour is reported within the boundary. The intended effect of a Section 35 power is to reduce the risk of disorder, harassment, alarm or distress while the authorisation is in force.

For people who are given a direction, the consequence is more direct: they must leave the specified area and remain away for the stated period, which can be up to 48 hours. Failure to comply without reasonable excuse is an offence under the 2014 Act.