Groups of youths 'running riot' and 'terrorising' staff at KFC and McDonald's in Chorley
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Police have been called to the KFC on Chorley Retail Park, off the A6, a number of times since schools broke-up on Friday (April 1).
Staff say they are being ‘terrorised’ by groups of 20+ youths – aged between 10 and 17 – who congregate outside the restaurant and cause a nuisance.
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Hide AdThose working at McDonald’s in Clifford Street and the KFC in Buckshaw Village are also struggling to keep unruly youths away.
The restaurants have hired security guards to discourage anti-social behaviour after a spate of incidents over the weekend, where staff and customers were left feeling threatened by mobs of teenagers.
In some instances, the troublesome youths have refused to leave the restaurants until confronted by police, whilst others have been abusive to staff and have vandalised toilets.
In response, Chorley’s neighbourhood policing team said it will step up patrols over the spring holidays and will take action against those found causing problems.
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Hide AdA police spokesman said: “We have been dealing with several reports of anti-social behaviour, particularly at KFC and Tesco in Buckshaw Village, as well as KFC in Chorley Town Centre.
"Youths aged 10 to 17 years-old have been congregating in large groups causing a nuisance, including throwing liquid at shop fronts, refusing to leave shops and being abusive towards staff members and customers.
“We are taking steps to identify these offenders and will be contacting parents in due course.
“Whilst we appreciate that it is half-term and the weather hasn't been great, this is no excuse for anti-social behaviour.
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Hide Ad“If you have any information that may aid us surrounding the identification of these youths please contact 101.”
McDonald’s said it has a ‘zero tolerance policy’ when it comes to anti-social behaviour and added that security has been brought in to provide reassurance to staff and customers.
A McDonald’s spokesman said: “The safety and security of our people and our customers is our absolute priority and we strive to ensure our restaurants are a welcoming and friendly environment for all.
"We have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to crime and anti-social behaviour both in and around our restaurants.
"We maintain positive working relationships with the police and have invested in security staff as necessary.”