A GANG of teenagers are terrorising Colchester city centre by threatening shop workers and confronting passers-by.
The troublemakers are claimed to have trashed the upper floor of McDonald’s in High Street and vandalised greenery in Red Lion Yard.
Other reports include the tearaways throwing glass bottles at people in High Street and abusing shop workers and business owners.
Colchester’s district commander Colin Cox admitted to the Gazette there are “ongoing issues” and pledged to clampdown on anti-social and criminal behaviour.
The reports have also been confirmed by Lion Walk Shopping Centre boss Martin Leatherdale who said the group has become “a real nuisance”.
A man who works in the city centre and remains anonymous said he has seen the group wearing masks to obscure their faces as they try locked doors of businesses.
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The resident, who is in his thirties, said: “These brats need stopping before they do something even worse.
“The whole city centre would like to throttle them, though that hardly seems viable.
“They've already been seen, and reported, for abusing passers-by, vandalism, beating up school kids and they've even been overheard threatening to 'shiv' city centre workers.”
Other incidents the Gazette has been told about include concrete being hurled from the parapet of the Roman wall onto cars below in Vineyard Street.
Bus drivers have also been verbally abused and members of the gang have allegedly indecently exposed themselves to others in public.
Police confirmed they were investigating a mugging in Long Wyre Street after three youths approached a teenager and forced him to hand over money in late May.
The victim was asked to raise his arms so the perpetrators could reach into his trouser pocket and snatch £10 from inside.
Castle ward councillor Steph Nissen said the city centre has seen a recent spate of “low level violent activities,” adding: “It does nothing to benefit our residents or visitors.”
The latest available figures from Essex Police states 70 reports of anti-social behaviour were made to officers in March.
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