The town too afraid to go out at night: Quiet community is terrorised by ‘feral’ yobs who throw items from moving cars, smash up bus stops and harass local shop keepers

A quiet town is terrorized night after night by ‘wild’ vagabonds and the local community is afraid to leave their homes at night.

Scores of young people have been wandering the once peaceful streets of Ashton-in-Makerfield in Greater Manchester for months.

They throw stones at passers-by, harass local shopkeepers and destroy bus stops.

About 50 young people gather on the town’s main street, harassing and intimidating local residents.

The chaos of the past few months culminated in last Sunday’s night of mayhem. Manchester Evening News A pack of anti-social thugs has reportedly invaded Gerard Street, forcing businesses to close early.

The 13-minute footage, shot by cafe owner Helen Lawson, was shared on social media that night and paints a bleak picture of the situation for young people in the town.

Helen, who has run Hel’s Kitchen cafe for seven years, was heard pleading with the group: ‘Can you leave me alone? ‘Get out of my face!’

While a group of hoodlums followed him, others were seen making fun of him. He recorded the moment his phone was taken from him and thrown to the ground before ice and a drink were thrown at him.

Another harrowing video showed a group attacking a teenage girl outside a nearby B&M store.

At one point, a young boy was seen barking at him like a dog.

Helen told local media this was the first time she had personally encountered problems with the group, but she knew other businesses in the area were suffering due to the shocking behaviour.

He said: ‘I’ve never had anything like this before. But I know there are kids climbing buildings, meeting, throwing things at cars, harassing people.

‘They were all gathering outside my workplace and I was worried because I’ve had children throw each other at my window before. All I wanted to do was ask them to move, but I was pulled back into the middle of the road and followed.

‘The boys on bicycles came to the front and took my phone from me. Outside KFC another boy threw ice cubes at me and a drink was thrown at me. They were so durable that they did not move.

‘Nothing can excuse this behaviour. What are parents doing? These kids think they are untouchable and have no respect. The way they talked to me and treated me was disgusting. ‘I don’t know what the answer is, they clearly think they can get away with it.’

While a glass bus stop was shattered into pieces the night before the video was shot, a mother told the newspaper that her daughter had stones thrown at her.

Another harrowing video showed a group attacking a teenage girl outside a nearby B&M store.

The groups appear to be self-organized and many are believed to have come from Haydock on Merseyside and Golborne, near Warrington.

Up to 50 young people gather on the town’s main street, harassing and intimidating local residents

A glass bus shelter was shattered the night before the video was shot by Helen Lawson (pictured)

A local woman who has lived in the area all her life told the newspaper: ‘They are always coming into the shop on bicycles, throwing things, shouting. It’s treated like a youth hostel. This has been going on for a few months now, especially in the evenings when they are out of school.

‘Weekend evenings are the worst. I won’t leave my house on weekend nights anymore because they’re everywhere. We were invaded. Like the FarmFoods nightclub, they create chaos at KFC. There is no respect, they think they rule the town. They are wild.

‘Parents are afraid to take their children out, I have two nephews and I know their parents are worried about growing up around all this. Something needs to be done. People say it’s because kids have nothing to do, but it was the same when I was little and we didn’t act like that. Nothing can excuse this. Disgusting.’

Sian Jones, who runs a dance school in the area, said the problem of youth violence has been going on for years.

He told the Manchester Evening News that a group of teenagers once began throwing cardboard outside the venue before hurling glass bottles at evacuated children.

He said: ‘The worst incident was last year when some children set fire to cardboard next to the shutter of the storage unit just outside the entrance. The smoke was coming from under the interior door of that unit and filling the hallway outside my interior entry door.

‘Of course I evacuated the children and called 999. ‘While we were outside, children were throwing glass bottles in the car park onto our children outside.’

Sian continued: ‘Me and a few other people broke the car windows. Eggs are being thrown at cars. Garbage bins were set on fire several times. There is a lot of graffiti on all the walls around the businesses. Bricks were removed from the walls, gutters and wires were ripped from the walls.

Locals say they are now too afraid to leave their homes due to shocking behavior

Helen said many businesses in the area were suffering due to this shocking behaviour.

The groups appear to be self-organized and many are believed to have come from Haydock on Merseyside and Golborne, near Warrington.

‘Bikes are being ridden around Greensway shopping center and a fire extinguisher is thrown as a weapon at an elderly staff member. ‘I’ve given up reporting to the police and local councilors because no action is taken and it just feels like a waste of time.’

Local councilor Danny Fletcher told MEN that nearby schools had identified some of the children featured in the latest videos and were co-ordinating with police to increase visibility at weekends.

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police told the newspaper: ‘We use a number of resources in the Ashton-in-Makerfield area to reduce anti-social behavior and tackle issues directly with groups of young people.

‘This includes enforcing dispersal orders, which give local officers the power to remove people from areas and prevent problems before they start.

‘Since problems were reported involving a large group of young people on Sunday, we have identified a number of individuals linked to the investigation and work continues to ensure all offenses are assessed and those responsible are dealt with appropriately.

‘We are also working closely with local schools, partners and the council’s youth teams to improve patrolling of the area, engage with businesses and look at ways to prevent further issues from affecting the community.’