Three teenagers have been arrested after a large group of youths caused chaos at a shopping centre food court on the last day of GCSE exams. Kent Police and security staff turned away around 200 youngsters within two hours of trouble erupting at Bluewater Shopping Centre in Greenhithe, near Dartford.
Incident Details
Police attended the scene at around 3pm on June 15 following reports of antisocial behaviour in the food court. Two 16-year-old boys from London were arrested on suspicion of causing a public nuisance, and a further 16-year-old boy from London was detained on suspicion of common assault. They remain under investigation.
A dispersal order was immediately put in place, a Kent Police spokesperson confirmed. Dartford's Chief Inspector Sarah Rivett issued a stern warning to youths, stressing that such behaviour will not be tolerated.
Police Warning
Chief Inspector Rivett said: "While this may have been an isolated incident due to the last day of exams, we are more than prepared for any such antisocial incidents in the future. As a force, we are tackling nuisance behaviour head on as summer approaches and the school holidays begin. As shown on Monday, we aren’t afraid to bring the full force of the law down on anyone bringing distress and chaos to our communities. We encourage anyone to think twice before participating in these kinds of incidents, as it could have serious consequences on your future. There is no need to gain a criminal record for the sake of boredom or wanting to have fun."
Bluewater Statement
A Bluewater spokesperson said: "Bluewater security teams worked closely with Kent Police to respond to a group of young people causing some disruption in the centre. It's important to state that situations like this are extremely rare, and we apologise to any guests affected."
