Clapham security guard tells of moment he was forced to lock customers inside store as mobs of feral youths ran wild – after Met Police warned of Easter holiday ‘linkups’

A security guard in Clapham has described the moment he had to lock customers inside the store as crowds of wild teenagers went wild.

The Metropolitan Police warned of more Easter holiday ‘connections’ as teenagers once again rampaged through South London on Tuesday evening, with terrified families barricading themselves in high street shops in the latest wave of chaos.

Clips circulating on social media show crowds of children gathering in the neighborhood, terrorizing local residents and forcing stores to close.

Police vehicles appeared to be desperately trying to force their way through crowds of rioters who took to the streets in broad daylight on Tuesday afternoon, responding to a social media trend encouraging young people to ‘unite’ en masse.

Police confirmed two teenage girls were arrested on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker and a dispersal order was issued.

Marks and Spencer on the high street, which was ransacked by a similar gang at the weekend, leading to two arrests, closed early for fear of a new raid on the aisles.

A security guard working at the supermarket also told the Daily Mail that he had to lock shoppers inside for a short time, then gradually let officers out.

Mohammed said: ‘The police warned us there would be chaos and we prepared for it because of what happened last Saturday.

Police vehicles could be seen desperately trying to pass through crowds of rioters who took to the streets in broad daylight on Tuesday afternoon.

‘There were lots of children running and shouting and the police recommended that all shops be closed for an hour.’

He added that the supermarket decided to close for just one day and not reopen, but some shoppers remained inside.

‘The police roughly knew today’s time,’ he said. ‘They said the class would start at 16:00, so they’ve been here since noon. However, the chaos broke out at 19:00.

‘We had to lock the shoppers inside, at 8.15pm we let them out one by one, police and security closed the doors and escorted them out.

‘Shoppers were very scared. There was a woman with a stroller and a baby. ‘He was terrified but the police escorted him to safety.’

Mohammed added that the rioters targeted a branch of Boot that was not as prepared for the chaos as other stores.

Meanwhile, a local Waitrose has also closed its doors with a ‘police advised’ sign stuck to its front door and Boot’s has been targeted ‘very badly’, according to witnesses.

Other videos showed large groups of ski-masked youths gathering outside a McDonald’s restaurant in the area as marked and unmarked police cars rushed to the scene.

Families were reportedly ‘barricaded’ inside a local Sainsbury’s as youths, many dressed in all black, took control of the busy high street.

Both McDonald’s and Sainsbury’s were forced to close before their scheduled time due to mob unrest.

By 22.30, the chaos ended when the police dispersed the majority of the participants.

Workers at local shops said they were ‘terrified’ as chaos reigned on the bumpy road, with cars stopping and commuters ducking for cover or opting to film the scene using their smartphones.

Fires were seen burning on Clapham Common grounds and smoke billowed into the air as police intervened to extinguish them.

Dozens of officers rushed into the large crowd of teenagers in an attempt to disperse the crowd, but most participants appeared to hold their ground.

The riot continued into the evening, with approximately 60 young people confronting police who attempted to disperse the participants.

Officers arrived in four vehicles, including two pickup trucks, to break up a group gathered outside the Common’s basketball courts, but many teenagers sped past them, while others shouted at officers as they drove by.

Lime bikes were strewn across the ground and the smell of marijuana hung in the air as teenagers gathered in frighteningly large groups both on the street and in the park.

Fires were seen burning on Clapham Common grounds and smoke billowed into the air as police intervened to extinguish them.

Images circulating on social media show crowds of children roaming the south London neighbourhood, terrorizing locals and forcing shops to close

‘It felt like the Notting Hill carnival,’ said the security guard. ‘When I worked at the Notting Hill branch I only ever saw something like this happen during carnival.’

An employee at the Roosters Spot chicken shop said: ‘The police told us to close our shop and after we reopened we were warned not to allow children inside today.

‘We were scared because we heard groups of 10 to 15 people coming into the stores, wandering around, picking up trays and breaking things on the walls.’

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: ‘Police are responding to an ongoing incident on Clapham High Street following reports of a large crowd of young people causing anti-social behaviour.

‘Officers are at the scene and a dispersal order has been issued, meaning anyone gathered must leave the area.

‘Two teenage girls have now been arrested on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker. They were detained.

‘Officers will remain in the area to offer support and respond to concerns from local people and businesses.’

It follows a mass ‘hook-up’ where a violent gang of teenagers rioted at an M&S store on Saturday and terrorized the streets of Clapham was arranged online in Lawless London another day in advance.

Police had to issue a dispersal order and two 16-year-old girls and a 15-year-old girl were arrested for theft and assault during the wild gathering, which was attended by more than 100 teenagers.

Footage posted on social media showed police officers watching an army of wild teenagers attack the supermarket.

Officers tried to control the frenzied crowd, who were pushing each other as they ran through the frozen food aisle, before a fight broke out that left one girl bursting into tears.

Other videos showed them squealing and screaming as they ran down the main street, while confused onlookers froze in fear.

They also ambushed other shops in the area, including Sainsbury’s, where a teenage girl hit a police officer and another girl was seen running out of the store and running away from officers.

Videos and comments from young people who attended suggest the meet-up was staged on social media, with many calling it the ‘Clappam courts connection’, while others simply referred to it as ‘Clapham courts’ or ‘the courts’.

“I was going to go, but none of my friends wanted to go,” he said in one comment.

Chaotic scenes on the first day of the Easter holidays have raised fears it could happen again at a time when Britain’s youth are away from school.

Another video, showing two girls smiling and dancing around the house, appeared to reference tonight’s second ‘connection’, with the caption: ‘How do we feel knowing it’s going to be broadcast live at Clapham Courts on Tuesday?’

Footage shows Saturday’s large gathering initially meeting at Clapham Common netball and basketball courts, then spilling into the streets as the atmosphere becomes increasingly chaotic.

A clip of the incident has since gone viral on social media, with viewers branding the ordeal as yet another example of lawless London.

A gang of youths took over the Marks and Spencer food hall in Clapham on Saturday

The riot continued into the evening, with many young people confronting police who attempted to disperse the participants.

A Met Police spokesman said of Saturday’s mob incident: ‘Tackling shoplifting and anti-social behavior remains a priority for the Met and we are doing more to take action against offenders and support local businesses.

‘This proactive approach led to a 44 per cent increase in arrests last year, while shoplifting across London fell by 4 per cent.

‘At around 4.45pm on Saturday 28 March, police responded to reports of a group of approximately 100 young people causing anti-social behavior and stealing from a number of businesses on Clapham High Street.

‘Officers issued a dispersal order and arrested three men. Three girls, two 16-years-old and one 15-year-old, were arrested on charges of theft and assault. ‘They have since been released on bail.’