Croydon teens repeatedly shoplift with one 'throwing lit firework into store'

Croydon teenagers have been causing so much mayhem in the town centre that police have been forced to bring in special dispersal powers. The chaos has left local businesses and residents distressed, with one instance even seeing a 'lit firework' thrown into a store, MyLondon was told.

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police team working around Croydon said on X that this was due to a 'group of school-aged teenagers' that have 'been repeatedly engaging in shoplifting, anti-social behaviour, criminal damage, and general nuisance in Croydon town centre'

A Section 35 Dispersal Zone has been enforced in the Broad Green and Fairfield Wards from 1pm yesterday until 9pm this evening (Friday, March 7). This allows police to exclude a person from an area for a period of up to 48 hours. A child aged 16 or under can be removed and taken to their home or another place of safety.

'Teenagers waving lit fireworks around market sellers'

One local business owner, who wishes to remain anonymous, told MyLondon: “We did have one instance where someone threw a lit firework into our store. I don’t know what they thought would happen.”

They also said that there had also been instances of teenagers waving lit fireworks around market sellers in the area. They said that things have improved recently due to a larger police presence, but they still have to remain vigilant.

“Whenever there’s a group of students that come in we have to be extra attentive, I wish this wasn’t the case because they’re students.”

Teen 'threw can of Coke into shop'

Another business owner told MyLondon that they had struggled with antisocial behaviour in their store. They said: “We’ve got problems. Sometimes five or six teenagers come in and take the stuff without paying, making trouble.

“Last time when I told them to get out one of them had a can of Coke and they threw it into the shop so it was all messy. The coke got everywhere.”

Mark Oram, who works at Dabners Pet Store, told MyLondon that while he hadn’t experienced issues with school-age children, antisocial behaviour in the area was still a huge problem.

'Lawless'

“We’ve got a lot of drunks and drug addicts,” he said. “It's lawless, absolutely lawless. There’s so much crime which you don’t even hear about. Stabbings are by the hour.”

The Section 35 Dispersal Order Zone, authorised by Inspector Holliday, gives police powers to take immediate action to prevent further issues and maintain safety in the area. The statement on the South Area Croydon MPS X account says: “The order is being used because a group of school-aged teenagers has been repeatedly engaging in shoplifting, anti-social behaviour, criminal damage, and general nuisance in Croydon Town Centre. Their actions are disrupting businesses and causing distress to the public.

“By issuing a Section 35 order, the police can take immediate action to prevent further issues and maintain safety in the area.”

Got a story? Please get in touch at katherine.gray@reachplc.com

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