‘Feral youths raided our shop for vapes and fizzy drinks – we feel so unsafe’

This is the terrifying moment a gang of 15 teens attack a young shop worker and steal disposable vapes and fizzy drinks.

CCTV footage from Norman’s News in Northampton shows the teens throwing punches at the assistant, pinning him up against fridges and pulling him from behind the shop counter.

They all burst into the shop on Tuesday evening, which happened in front of a customer who was forced to stand by and watch.

The CCTV shows a boy who tries to convince the worker that he is 18 so he can buy a vape.

Another boy steals a fizzy drink, waves and leaves the store. Three minutes later, a larger gang came back.

They start beating up the shop worker, who bravely fights back despite being targeted with a barrage of punches.

Then, 11 minutes later, a lone teen demands that the shop worker hand over his phone before he drags him over the counter and onto the floor.

He has escaped with injuries to his eyes and is recovering at home, too scared to come back to work.

Shop owner Vishal Patel, 46, who was not in the shop at the time, said this is the second time this has happened in the space of two weeks.

He Metro: ‘We feel really unsafe. Three of my staff don’t want to come into work because they are too scared.

‘The shop assistant who was attacked is just a student and has been really shaken up by this.

‘We are all just trying to do our jobs but this has caused £2,000 worth of damage plus stock taken.’

Vishal said that there are two main factors that are encouraging groups like this to become involved in unruly behaviour.

‘The sunny weather encourages them to come out, especially in the evenings,’ he said.

‘There’s also a number of illegal vape and alcohol shops in the area which is encouraging them.’

Dr Jasmine Khouja is a senior research associate in the Tobacco and Alcohol Research Group at the University of Bristol.

She explained to Metro the psychology behind group violence and why teens are particularly attracted to stealing vapes.

‘Group violence a lot of the time is often down to peer pressure and pack mentality,’ she said.

‘Young people most vulnerable to this are ones drawn into pressure from somebody else.

‘Teens are also more likely to take risks at a younger age and are impulsive which drives them to do things like this.

‘With vaping, what drives this is addiction, and addiction to the high nicotine content found in disposable vapes.

‘Disposable vapes are set to be banned in June. This is encouraging people to stockpile them and may be encouraging this growth in crime.

‘While vaping is less harmful than smoking, young people are drawn to different flavours and collecting the different colours.’

A Northamptonshire Police spokesperson said: ‘Officers investigating a robbery at a Northampton shop have arrested a 16-year-old boy.

‘At around 8.15pm on Tuesday, April 29, Northamptonshire Police received a report that up to 15 young people had entered a store in Drapery, assaulted a member of staff, stolen stock and damaged the store.

‘Enquiries into the incident resulted in the Northampton boy’s arrest earlier today, Friday, May 2, and he remains in police custody.

‘Work to identify the other people involved remains underway.’

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