Shops in southeast London are put on alert as more yobs plan to raid stores TODAY – after shocking scenes on Oxford Street
- Thugs planned a mass robbery at a sports shop at Oxford Circus on Wednesday
Shopkeepers in southeast London were warned to increase security as yobs planned to raid stores today in another mass attack coordinated on social media.
There were shocking scenes at Oxford Circus on Wednesday as thugs planned a mass robbery of a sports shop.
The following day, Essex Police set up a dispersal order in Southend as more yobs sent posts about targeting the town and its seaside to cause further chaos.
And Scotland Yard yesterday put its own dispersal order into force in Bexleyheath following a mass of messages on social media about descending on the area to rob its shops.
A notice from a security firm sent to shop-owners said: ‘It is anticipated that large groups of individuals will attempt to storm retailers and shoplift while creating purposeful damage.
There were shocking scenes at Oxford Circus on Wednesday as thugs planned a mass robbery of JD Sports
One police officer was seen being punched in the head by a youth amid scuffles on Oxford Street
‘The event is being promoted on social media platforms such as TikTok and Snapchat to reach the masses.’ A letter from the Broadway Shopping Centre management to its tenants said the threat was being taken very seriously and additional security guards would be on duty at every main entrance.
‘If we see that there is any trouble outside we will shut all entrances until everything calms down,’ the letter added.
‘If you see any activity outside that concerns you then we would encourage you to close your doors until the trouble subsides.
READ MORE: London’s Oxford Street braced for TikTok-fuelled crime wave: Police vans and mounted patrols gather in response to viral social media posts urging followers to ‘rob JD Sports’ and shoplift stores
‘It is our hope that this will core to nothing. however please be assured that every course of action is being taken to ensure your safety.’
A Met Police spokesman confirmed that a section 35 dispersal order – giving officers the power to exclude people from a specific area and arrest those who did not comply – was in force.
They added: ‘We are aware of social media speculation about an event which is advertised to take place in the Bexleyheath area.
There will be a heightened police presence in the area and anyone who does participate in criminal activity will be dealt with by officers.’ Police forces across the country are braced for more carnage following the mass targeting of a JD Sports shop on Oxford Street earlier this week.
Nine people were arrested in clashes in the street after Snapchat and TikTok users began sharing posts about a planned robbery of the shop, with attendees told to adhere to a ‘dress code’ of balaclavas and gloves.
The Home Secretary called for those responsible to be ‘hunted down’ and locked up.
It follows a trend in the US, where there was a spate of rapidly organised robberies on department stores that began in 2021.
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