TWO 13-year-olds have been charged with a town centre assault and with breaching an emergency order.

The teens were arrested in Eld Lane on Saturday, while a 48-hour dispersal order covering the town centre was in place.

Last night police confirmed the boy and girl had been charged.

The pair will appear in court next month.

The dispersal order was put in place in a bid to cut growing antisocial behaviour in Colchester town centre.

It began at 6pm on Friday and expired at 6pm on Sunday.

During that time, police also moved on five people.

The order gave officers and Police Community Support Officers the power to order groups of two people or more to leave an area immediately.

Officers and PCSOs are also able to detain anyone under the age of 16 and return them to their home address or another "safe place".