A group of youths in Sittingbourne High Street were filmed vandalising property and harassing passers-by, raising concerns among residents.
Sittingbourne: A group of kids was caught on camera causing a ruckus in the high street. They were vandalising property and bothering people walking by.
The video shows six youngsters tearing foam off scaffolding and hitting cars. Witness Matilda Johnson described them as swearing and creating chaos.
She thinks more police presence is needed. It’s just a short walk to the police station, but she rarely sees officers around.
Matilda said, “They don’t care at all. These kids are so young, and nothing ever happens.”
This all went down last Friday evening, and a local Facebook group lit up with comments about it.
One post said, “If these are your kids, maybe have a chat with them.” It pointed out how they were ripping foam off scaffolding and trying to hit passers-by.
Sure, the foam is soft, but it’s about respect. “Don’t mess with other people and don’t destroy stuff!”
The post got over 300 comments, with many blaming the parents, while some thought the kids were just being kids.
One person mentioned that they avoid town when school’s out because of this kind of behaviour.
Uniformed marshals patrol the area during school holidays, but it seems like a small fix for a bigger problem.
Another parent said they keep their kids at home instead of letting them roam the streets, where trouble seems to find them.
“There’s nothing to do but cause trouble,” they added. “I’d rather they play football or chat online than hassle people.”
Some folks are even saying they won’t go into town anymore because of the anti-social behaviour. It’s a shame, really.
This isn’t the first time, either. Just recently, a group of teens caused a scene at the town’s Christmas lights switch-on, leaving families feeling uneasy.
Organisers were so upset that they’re planning to hire security for next year’s event. The council has tried to tackle this by sending out marshals, but it’s only during school holidays.
