Latest news with #antisocialbehavior
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE The scourge of supermarket pranksters: Security guards report huge rise in teenage tearaways harassing staff and shoppers for clicks
Shop security guards have complained of a 'massive' rise in antisocial behaviour by teenage tearaways harassing staff and customers for social media views. Supermarkets have started turning off their WiFi to stop mobs gathering at in-store cafes to use the Internet while passing time filming themselves 'trying to get a rise' out of employees. They also face the scourge of influencers carrying out 'pranks' with the aim of going viral on TikTok, as well as other platforms such as YouTube and Instagram. Videos show attention-seekers taking items from shoppers' baskets, telling off customers while posing as staff and pretending to shoplift. Others are seen startling a lone woman by moaning in her ear, releasing insects, and shoving soiled clothes in a man's face. It comes at a time the retail sector is already having to deal with a steep rise in theft, abuse, and assaults. Kevin Burton, retail account director at Kingdom Security, says his colleagues are fed up of being targeted by thugs looking 'for kicks and social media attention'. He described wannabee influencers stealing milk to pour over themselves, locking themselves in toilets so they could sneak out at night and even riding bikes through the aisles - knocking over an elderly woman in the process. One particularly disturbing video shows a young man creeping up behind a woman browsing at a homeware store in London and moaning in her ear 'Recently we've had one guy who goes around with a speaker, grabs a couple of milk bottles and throws the milk over himself before rolling around on the floor,' Mr Burton told MailOnline. 'In one incident in West Yorkshire kids were riding bicycles up and down the aisles and an old woman was knocked over. It was all being filmed on social media. 'We've also had an incident of a guy who locks himself in toilets before walking around the shop at night.' While Mr Burton links some of these incidents as involving 'TikTokers and vloggers' he believes a far bigger problem are large groups of children hanging around in shops and harassing staff for entertainment. 'Youths are gathering in customer cafes and using the free WiFi so sometimes we turn it off to deter them,' he said. 'They see a store as somewhere they can just go in and cause havoc and then get a rise from being removed from security, which can lead to assaults when the kids fight back. 'Local councils don't have a lot of money to spend on youth clubs so they don't have anywhere to go for activities and the police are stretched. 'It's a massive problem when it comes to retail sites. Over the last six to 12 months there's been a massive rise.' A YouTuber posing as a Sainsbury's employee telling a customer he had to leave because he has 'bad breath' In one video filmed in a Primark, a TikToker takes a set of boxers from a shelf and adds in a pair that has been stained to appear soiled before shoving it in a shop worker's face The security firm boss described how some teenagers cause a scene as a deliberate distraction tactic. 'In Scotland, the kids are committing antisocial behaviour as a distraction so their friends can steal. 'We're trying to deter criminals who are taking thousands from the shelves and then we've having to deal with these kids at the same time.' Research by MailOnline suggests clips of influencers going into shops to harass workers and members of the public appear to be most widespread on TikTok - although they are present on other platforms too. One particularly disturbing video shows a young man creeping up behind a woman browsing at a homeware store in London and moaning in her ear. After she moves away, the TikToker moves even closer to her and makes another suggestive moan, prompting her to turn around and scream in horror. He then feigns disbelief after a member of staff and several shoppers come to see what is happening. The 'prankster' continues approaching the woman - who goes to sit down and puts her head in her hands. In one video filmed in a Primark, a TikToker takes a set of boxers from a shelf and adds in a pair that has been stained to appear soiled. He then walks over to a shop assistant and shoves the pack under his face, prompting him to push it away and say, 'Please don't put that in my face.' As the shop worker backs away, the bully keeps pushing the underwear towards him as another shopper offers to call security. One TikToker regularly goes up to members of the public in supermarkets before taking items out of their baskets. But when he carried out this stunt in an Asda in Wales it caused a physical confrontation after a man grabbed his shopping back before calling him a 'c***'. A video on Instagram shows a man releasing wild insects into a branch of Halfords, while a YouTuber filmed himself posing as a Sainsbury's worker and telling a customer he had to leave because of his 'bad breath'. Another tiresome prank involved teenagers pretending to be staff at a McDonald's drive-thru before telling security 'you can't touch us' as they try to remove them. In a bid to combat the crime crippling the retail sector, the Government is planning to invest £200million into neighbourhood policing and has vowed to make assaulting a shop worker a standalone offence. Ministers have also axed previous legislation that made stealing goods worth less than £200 a 'summary-only' offence - meaning one that is considered less serious and generally tried in a magistrates' court. Incidents of retail crime hit their highest level on record in the year leading up to August 2024, growing by more than 50 per cent to more than 2,000 incidents a day, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC). In March, the BRC said the cost of retail crime has soared to a staggering £4.2billion last year - including £2.2billion from shoplifting and another £1.8billion spent on crime prevention measures such as CCTV, anti-theft devices and body worn cameras. Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the BRC, said: 'Seeing incidents of theft or abuse has become an all-too-common part of the shopping experience for many people. 'While an incident can be over in a matter of seconds, it can have life-long consequences on those who experience it, making them think twice about visiting their local high streets. 'Criminals are becoming bolder and more aggressive, and decisive action is needed to put an end to it.' TikTok's community guidelines state that it does not allow harassing, degrading, or bullying behaviour on its platform. Some of the videos flagged by MailOnline have now been removed. It claims that from January to March 2025, of the videos removed for violating our policies on harassment and bullying, 91.2% were removed before they were reported to moderators. MailOnline has contacted YouTube and Instagram for comment.
News.com.au
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Teen's ‘filthy' act on Sydney train sparks outrage
If you thought commuters shouting on loudspeaker or eating strong-smelling food on public transport was as anti-social as it got, think again. Sydney train travellers were treated to a new level of eyebrow-raising behaviour this week, when a teenage boy received a full-blown haircut – professional hairdresser cape and all – in the middle of a carriage. The unexpected salon session unfolded on a regular weekday morning on a train near Richmond, northwest of Sydney, with stunned passengers looking on. The travelling barber looked focused as he shaved his friend's hair while a third mate filmed the scene. A photo of the moment has since made its way to the r/Sydney Reddit forum, where a witness recounted: 'Was travelling on the train today and saw these people recording and giving a haircut to a guy lol'. 'The haircut was so s**t,' they added, unsurprisingly, since it happened on a moving train. The sight quickly sparked a debate online, with Sydney locals discussing whether this was a peak public transport 'ick' or just kids being kids. 'I didn't think grubs cutting their toenails during their morning commute could be topped, but this is the world we live in now …' said one critic. 'Is there anything people won't do on trains?' asked a second. Others criticised the group for their attention-seeking stunt. 'It's a skit, disgusting … social media delirium,' pointed out one commenter. 'This is gross,' a second wrote, while a third called the behaviour 'not on' and someone else labelled it 'absolute filth'. 'I would have hit the guard button and let them sort it out,' a different user suggested. Some were more concerned about the mess they might have made. 'Did these grubs clean up after?' asked one user. The poster responded, claiming, 'Nope, they ran away'. Meanwhile, some voiced safety concerns. 'Could be dangerous if the train had to stop suddenly,' noted one. 'Are scissors considered a weapon?' asked another. However, a few didn't see the issue. 'I don't have too big of a problem with this, train looks pretty much empty,' replied one user. Someone else pointed out that kids used to 'smoke, drink, spit, vomit and graffiti' trains, and compared to that, this is fairly harmless behaviour. While this incident raises etiquette issues, there's no explicit law in NSW stating that getting a haircut (even with a razor) on a train is prohibited. However, if it's found the group were 'disrupting the comfort of others,' it's considered an offence under the Passenger Transport Regulation, which could result in a fine of up to $1100. Not cleaning up after themselves could also be considered littering, attracting a penalty of up to $1100. It's not suggested that this group has broken the law.
BBC News
6 days ago
- BBC News
Under-reported crimes tackled in Surrey Police operation in Epsom
Work to prevent crimes against women and girls and discover under-reported offences is "really important", according to Surrey part of an operation in Epsom, police were out on patrol, talking to the public and liaising with bars and clubs, as well as sending plain clothes officers into Claudia Humphreys, from the Epsom and Ewell safer neighbourhood team, said as well as talking to the public, police had been giving out anti-spiking kits."A lot of these crimes go undetected and we don't know about them," she told BBC Radio Surrey. "If we are in the town giving advice, not victim blaming but making sure we can prevent these incidents, then that's really important."Police said a total of 49 searches were carried out and eight seizures made on the evening, including cannabis, cocaine and an illegal vape. Three arrests were made, the force said, one for cycle thefts and possession of tools used for theft, one for breach of bail conditions, and one for possession of an offensive weapon and Insp Dan Gutierrez said police presence in the town acted "as a deterrent to criminal opportunists" and made the area "hostile to those who might display predatory behaviour towards women and girls"."Local businesses also play a key role in supporting operations like this, and we've been listening to concerns from our community and taking action on issues they tell us about, including the safety around the night time economy, motorbike theft and general anti-social behaviours," he said. Surrey's Police and Crime Commissioner Lisa Townsend joined officers for Operation Shield in Epsom on said reducing violence against women and girls "really matters" to the public, and that the force's work also extended to supporting victims through the criminal justice she added that some victims faced waiting until 2028 or 2029 before getting to court. Those out in Epsom generally said they did feel safe in the town on a night one man, who did not want to be named, said: "There's a lot of things happening, people stealing bikes, threatening people."He said he always "checked over his shoulder" in Epsom town centre. Insp Jon Vale said: "We know that although Epsom is a very safe place, there will be occasions where sexual assaults happen, drink spiking and other occasions where women and girls become a victim of crime."He also said there were issues with gang-related violence and county lines in Surrey.
BBC News
11-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Nottingham car park alarm annoys bar customers and residents
"Every hour we hear this persistent, high-pitched beeping noise that is driving customers and staff insane."Thomas Levitt is the manager of Loose Ends, a new cocktail bar that opened two months ago on Friar Lane in Nottingham city business has proved popular - but there's a Levitt says customers are being "driven out" of the bar by the sound of an alarm, programmed to sound at regular intervals to tackle antisocial behaviour and rough sleeping in a nearby car which owns the car park in St James's Street, said the alarm had been "great" in reducing nuisance behaviour but it was working to make it "less disruptive." Mr Levitt is not alone in his concerns. Local residents have also expressed frustration about the noise impacting their sleeping habits among other issues. The operator has a total of nine car parks in the city centre but the St James Street site is the only location with the said the alarm was conceived as a safe way of deterring of people from loitering in the car Mr Levitt said the noise was hurting business by driving staff and customers "insane", as well as discouraging people from using the bar's outdoor areas."The very minute the alarm goes off, customers want to leave our outdoor seating area, which is a massive problem for us especially given the hot weather," he said."When it is peak hours and we are full inside, those customers leave. That's 15 seats empty as quickly as that."We are a new business, and 15 paying customers leaving is a massive hit to us. The alarm is costing us custom, reputation and money." Mr Levitt's concerns about the alarm also extend beyond business. "I work at the bar 50 hours a week and it drives me insane - never mind residents and people who may be rough sleeping around here," he said."To me, it is unethical. The car park might not admit that it's targeting homeless people but we think it is and it isn't fair. It needs switching off permanently."Local residents have also found the alarm Davies and Katie Jones, who live on Standard Hill just opposite the car park, said the noise had made them consider moving out of their Davies, 25, said: "When we have to open our windows in the summer, the sound is unbearable."I work in a safety critical role on the railways, and the noise disrupted my sleep to the point where I had to take some time off work. "We've discussed options like moving elsewhere, but we don't want that to happen."Miss Jones, 24, added: "We love supporting local businesses, but when we go to places like Loose Ends, we are just reminded of the sound."Sometimes it feels like we can't escape the noise, and it puts us off doing things locally." Nottingham charity Framework, which supports homeless people, said its outreach teams were aware of the alarm, which it understood to be the only one of its kind in the city.A spokesperson said: "Sleeping on the streets puts people at physical risk - from attack, being urinated on, and losing their possessions."In these circumstances out-of-the-way places such as car parks, where you are less visible and can stay warm and dry, are an understandable option. "If you find someone sleeping rough in a car park, let our outreach team know, and we will try to get them into accommodation at the earliest opportunity."NCP told the BBC that moving forward, it would look at options such as closing windows in the stairwells to make the noise a statement, the operator said: "We are very sorry if [the alarm] is affecting people staying near the car park."Our team constantly reviews whether the current sites that have it are benefitting from using it, so it is an ongoing process."
BBC News
09-07-2025
- BBC News
'Cuckooking' at Nuneaton flat an 'absolute nightmare'
Residents of an independent living complex have told how they endured years of anti-social behaviour surrounding a resident who they believe had been "cuckooed".Pensioners at the complex in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, said there was open drug use by people visiting another elderly resident in the council-controlled centre, but their complaints and concerns were not her real name, said she was initially "so happy" to secure the flat but her living situation became an "absolute nightmare" due to the and Bedworth Borough Council said it was aware of the incident and admitted mistakes were made. The residents believe the man had been a victim of so-called cuckooing, the term used when the home of a vulnerable person is taken over by criminals, who use it as a base for drug dealing or other illegal told the BBC said she had initially loved her flat, but within eight weeks knew it "wasn't right for me".She described how she went to her daughter's home to get some sleep, as a man where she lived had his television "blasting" 24 hours a despite the council coming out after she reported the noise, she said the man would turn the volume back up as soon as they had left."It was day in, day and night all the time," Sue added. "I used to sit on my bed just crying.""There was a drug dealer that used to come in and collect his drugs four or five times a day with a really savage dog." In February, the government announced cuckooing was set to become a specific criminal resident, who the BBC is calling Tony, said someone needed to be held accountable as complaints were made and "nothing was done" about the vulnerable man's situation."I believe he was cuckooed," he said."It was the fact that people were coming in and out of the building, getting in the building without a key, and it was being reported and nobody was doing anything."Tony said it was an "ongoing" issue for nearly four years."Somebody's failed in the duty of care, haven't they, because the complaints were there and nothing was done," he added."We're the victims in this, and the council really didn't step up to the mark, although they tried to." Chris Watkins, leader of Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council, said the authority had looked into the incident and there had been "some mistakes"."We're all over any sort of cuckooing," he said. "We're working in conjunction with the police."Watkins said there were rules that had to be followed, and the authority had to monitor noise "for many weeks" following a complaint to build up a case to take to court."There are rules that the council have to follow so we can build up cases; sometimes it does take longer than the residents want," he added."I'm just saying that we have learned lessons, we are looking at what happened, and we do realise that it did take longer than the residents expected it to take." Follow BBC Coventry & Warwickshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
