From top left, clockwise: Fidel Hughes, Haq Nawaz, Abid Umar, Aaron Hampson and Dil Nawaz

A gang who terrorised Avenham and Fishwick have been banned from the city and surrounding area.

Lancashire Police applied for the Gang Injunction Order against six men – from Leyland, Manchester, Liverpool and Preston.

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Following an investigation by police where officers said residents were routinely intimidated by the men the banning orders were imposed by the courts.

Five men have received the banning order which is to be in place until November 2018.

Four of the defendants who have been handed full orders are; Haq Nawaz, 22, from Leyland, Dil Nawaz, 21, from Manchester, Aaron Hampson, 24, NFA, and Fidel Hughes, 18, from Liverpool.

A fifth man, aged 38 from Preston, was also handed a full order however, as a result of his positive involvement with the Probation Service and his efforts to seek employment, he has not been named.

An interim injunction is in place on a sixth man, Abid Umar, 36, from Preston until a further hearing in March 2017.

Haq Nawaz is also currently serving a 32 month sentence at Preston prison for drug offences following a drug warrant in Leyland where £29,000 of cocaine was found.

The orders prohibit the six men from:

– being in certain areas of Preston, Leyland, Greater Manchester and Merseyside
– associating or communicating with each other and a list of named people
– engaging in any abusive, threatening or intimidating conduct
– being in a motor vehicle with two or more other men in certain defined areas
– wearing a balaclava or scarf to conceal identity
– being in possession of a knife or bladed article, a firearm or imitation firearm or drug related equipment.

Any breaches can result in that person being given a prison sentence of up to two years and/or a fine.

What the police and council say

Detective Chief Inspector Claire McEnery said: “These men were a blight on the lives of residents in Preston and in particular the Avenham and Fishwick areas. Residents were unable to go about their lives without feeling intimidated or having to witness violence and drug dealing which is absolutely unacceptable and we will not tolerate this in our communities.

“These injunctions will provide reassurance to local residents, most of whom have been too afraid to come forward to us, that we will target individuals involved in this sort of behaviour.

“We’re keen to pursue all avenues which allow us to target any individual causing problems within our communities and we will increasingly look to Gang Injunction Orders as a way of putting an end to criminal activity.”

Councillor Robert Boswell cabinet member for community safety at Preston City Council said; “We welcome these injunctions and are grateful to the Police for pursuing this through the Courts. It means that if these people behave in a way that might support criminal intent or activity, then the Police can act swiftly to take them into custody and help to make the streets of Preston a safer place to be.”