The middle-class suburb under siege from feral children: How ‘pigeon boys’ gang are tormenting residents by throwing live birds into shops, launching fireworks and ransacking businesses

Launching fireworks, looting businesses, and throwing live pigeons into stores; This is a middle-class suburb under siege by a gang of tearful children.

Shops and restaurants in Eltham, south-east London, claim so-called ‘pigeon boys’ have been wreaking havoc for several months but say they are powerless to stop them.

It marks a tragic decline for the former Kent suburb, where savvy millennials have flocked in recent years for cheaper prime properties offering easy access to central London.

Eltham has long sought to shake its image, having lived under the shadow of the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence in 1993, which shook the community and damaged its reputation for many years.

But the influx of young families and professionals has seen parts of Eltham experience gentrification, where the middle-class bases of Marks & Spencer, Pizza Express and local cafes and delicatessens have emerged.

But over the last few months businesses on the High Street and the adjacent pedestrianized area of ​​Passey Place have fallen victim to a wave of anti-social behavior that has pushed locals and shop owners to breaking point.

Surprisingly, the alleged suspects are thought to be between 10 and 12 years old, according to locals.

“High Street has never been like this,” he says, as shoppers and business owners become increasingly concerned about children as well as masked teenagers racing up and down e-scooters and e-bikes.

They also claimed that street drinkers offered drugs to young children in exchange for them stealing for them.

Two children who have been causing trouble in recent months were seen on the subway in November

Locals and business owners say Eltham High Street (pictured) is becoming unbearable because of young teenagers

It marks a tragic decline for the former Kent suburb, where savvy millennials have flocked in recent years.

A worker on the high street said: ‘They’re little bastards! They are called pigeon boys because they throw live pigeons into shops.

‘They go into shops and blow up balloons. They threw matches at people.

‘They even threw fireworks! They should be banned from Eltham. It was very bad.

‘The police’s safer neighborhood team were good but they need to catch them.’

Staff said the shops had been provided with walkie-talkies as part of the council’s general project and were using them to alert other businesses of any problems in the area.

Another tradesman, who did not want to give his name, said: ‘We were all trouble when we were kids, but these are the Premier League. These are complete terrorism.

‘They’re just looking for trouble. They target people who are on their own or are weaker.

‘There are only two of them. This is the belief of beggars.”

One Subway franchisee said the High Street was ‘becoming unbearable in the evenings’.

“A group of children come into my store all the time; they throw drink cans, set off fireworks, steal items and make abuse, including racist comments,” he said in a Facebook group in Eltham.

Sharing CCTV footage of two children on his tube, he added: ‘Every evening feels more dangerous. It becomes impossible to work safely and it affects me mentally and emotionally.

‘If this continues I fear many of us on the High Street will struggle to keep our businesses open. We pay taxes, we work hard, and yet we feel completely vulnerable.

‘I am reaching out to the community and local authorities; We need urgent help and real action before something worse happens.’

A newsagent, who wished to remain anonymous, said: ‘This is an act of shoplifting and anti-social behaviour.

‘There are six or seven of them. We cannot manage these. They always try to buy vapes.

‘When our backs are turned, they distract us and buy us things. It usually happens once every two or three days a week.

‘They are about 10 years old. There are two boys who come every evening. I think they’re on drugs. When they get in the smell is terrible.

‘The police and the municipality were here many times.’

One businessman said: ‘In October they were throwing pumpkins at buses passing by on the main street. This is dangerous.

Iwona Golebiewska, 45, said: ‘We need to draw the line because this behavior is unacceptable.’

Police community support officers are seen patrolling the High Street to crack down on anti-social behavior

Shop owners claim feral kids wreak havoc, including stealing e-cigarettes

A police car was seen parked outside Boots on Eltham High Street, where locals had complained of anti-social behaviour.

‘They were very aggressive about Subway getting in there and stuff.

‘There are other guys too, they’re much older, they hang out with them too. They’re always drinking on the street.

‘The police tried to move them and they slowly disappeared.

‘High Street just got worse. There is a lot of theft. And there are young people with their faces covered with masks, speeding down the road on electric bikes and scooters.

‘This High Street has never been like this.’

Greengrocer Jason White, 25, said: ‘It’s much worse on the high street. You don’t see any police; ‘This is very rare.’

He added: ‘They don’t bother us but I know many other shops and venues suffer from them.

‘But shoplifting is really bad; But adults do this.

‘High Street just got worse. A few years ago some kids were climbing on the roofs of shops across the road and pelting us with eggs!

‘You don’t see much of the police walking around here.’

Another businessman, who did not want to give his name, said: ‘They came to the store and blew balloons.

‘Someone wanted free drinks or they would steal something.

Greengrocer Jason White, 25, said: ‘It’s much worse on the high street.’

‘But he’s calmed down a bit lately.

‘We threatened them with the police.’

A store manager, who did not want to give his name, said that the bad behavior started 2-3 months ago.

He said they stole chips and cookies from his store.

He said: ‘I think he’s high on drugs, that’s why. The other day, as I was opening the store, he came up to me and threw me a can of Red Bull.

He claimed: ‘There are street drinkers encouraging children to go to TK Maxx and steal and in return they get drugs.

‘If drinking on the streets was banned, these children would not come.’

He added: ‘The first day they took my keys as I opened the door. They steal everything.

‘Another time someone in the doorway threw a firework at my face – basically from high up. I closed the door in time.

‘The next day he came in and apologized; because I think social services were involved.

Pictured is the tube at Eltham High Street, one of the tubes targeted by young children

Shops and restaurants in Eltham, south-east London, claim so-called ‘pigeon boys’ have been wreaking havoc for several months

‘We work hard, we pay our taxes, and these people are causing trouble. Something must be done.

‘There are bailiffs but not in this area; They need to patrol this area more.’

Shopper Deon Jenkins, 35, said: ‘They’re always hanging around. But they don’t care.”

Another shopper, 45-year-old mother-of-two Iwona Golebiewska, said: ‘This is disturbing. I expected them to be at school.

‘Something needs to be done, otherwise there is an open door and the children think ‘we will make a mess’.

‘As a child, I respected adults. Eltham was a beautiful, quiet place, a respectable place. We want to keep it that way.

‘We need to draw the line because this behavior is unacceptable.’

Michelle, 63, said: ‘There are some lovely businesses here trying to make a living and these kids think they can do whatever they want.

‘The police are doing nothing’ They can’t touch them anymore. They have to go to Borstal for a year.

‘It’s not fair to anyone, and it’s not fair to these people trying to run a business. My children wouldn’t dream of doing this.’

The Met Police have been approached for comment.