RESIDENTS in a small town have been terrorised by teens egging shops and glugging booze hidden in McDonald's cups.

The sleepy commuter town of Ashford in Kent has seen a wave of anti-social behaviour – with cops issuing 28 dispersal orders in the town centre since 2020.

Local Ganesh Rai said eggs were hurled at the windows of his off-licence after he refused to sell alcohol to an underage boy.

He said: "Really small kids, maybe between eight to 12-years-old, came in saying 'Give me vodka'.

"They went to the fridge and grabbed alcohol. I said 'You can't do that' and asked them to leave the store.

"They left and after a few minutes they came back with eggs and threw them at the window and through the door – and they were swearing and shouting."

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Resident Kay Lal said that a group of teenage assaulted a vulnerable woman outside her cafe.

She said: "They come in and ask us for takeaway cups to put their alcohol in, or they will go to McDonald's.

"They get drunk and shout at each other. They think nobody can touch them because they are under 18.

"There was a vulnerable lady and the kids, maybe aged 14, started to pick on her.

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"Parents just let them go out and don't know what's happening."

Two section 34 dispersal orders covering the town centre have been issued this year.

These orders mean that police can direct individuals to leave the area if they are causing a nuisance.

In 2020, 11 dispersal orders were issued in Victoria ward, which encompasses the town centre.

Since then it has been coming down with six in 2021 and nine in 2022, suggesting lockdowns may have been a factor for the peak.

Cafe worker Ali Sasmaz said: "It is a waste of police time because they shouldn't have to deal with drunk people, or teenagers.

"They should be dealing with real crime."

People tell me to go back to my own country. I have served in conflicts for this country.

Shopkeeper Geoff Mathews said that by ripping out the cobbles on Ashford's high street, the local council had allowed teens to whizz around on e-scooters – risking a fatal collision.

He added that the town's derelict bingo hall has become a haven for tearaways.

Geoff said: "The white elephant, the Mecca Bingo hall, has been empty for seven years so it attracts the trouble.

"Trouble is also attracted to the bandstand, the fountain and McDonald's, that's where anti-social behaviour develops.

There were 627 anti-social behaviour incidents in Victoria ward in 2020 and 687 in 2021 – before dropping to 583 in 2022.

Resident Dhan Rogu said: "A lot of people come and shoplift and that's really killing us, given how difficult things are for small businesses as they are at the moment.

"I have been abused many times, people telling me to go back to my own country.

"I have served in conflicts for this country. We have risked our lives for this country and these people, we deserve to be here and treated better."

TOWN AND OUT

Ashford Borough Council said: "We work with our partners, including Kent Police, to protect our communities from crime and to help people feel safe.

"The town centre has a Public Spaces Protection Order that allows us to tackle anti-social behaviour which takes place in a specific area, covering particular activities.

"Anyone carrying them out in an area under one of these orders can be prosecuted or issued with a £100 fixed penalty notice.

"The innovative Ashford Streetwise app identifies the areas and routes in the town centre with the best safety provision.

"The town centre also offers a network of Safe Spaces – premises people can go to if they need help and support when out in the town centre."

Sarah Rivett, Kent Police's district commander for Ashford, said: "Reported anti-social behaviour has fallen in Victoria ward, which includes Ashford town centre, in the last year.

"I believe that is due, at least in part, to the hard work of my officers.

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"Despite the fall however, we are not complacent and continue to build on our work with partner agencies and businesses to help ensure the town is a safe place to live and work.

"Ashford has a very proactive town centre team and we have worked with the borough council to introduce a range of community safety schemes over the last year."

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