Police Clampdown After Youths Run Amok Near Chiswick High Road

Eight arrests made in the past week after disruptive behaviour by gangs of teens

Police outside Kitchen and Pantry after the incident. Picture @aliceterry_w4

A total of eight arrests have been made in the past week following incidents of disorder involving gangs of teenagers congregating and misbehaving on Chiswick Common.

Local people have been complaining for several weeks about being harassed and about anti-social behaviour from young people, many of them in school uniform. Fights have broken out and two weeks ago, a man was stabbed.

Six arrests were made following the outbreak of trouble last Monday (24 April) in which over forty teenagers ran amok from the Common to the High Road and along Devonshire Road.

In another possibly related incident, a middle-aged man received cuts to the face after being assaulted by two males on Chiswick High Road.

A proactive operation to tackle low level criminality and anti-social behaviour in Chiswick and Brentford has now been launched, named Operation Archimedes. Patrols in the Chiswick Back Common area had already been stepped up after a man was stabbed there on 9 April.

Since the area was designated a Dispersal Zone on Wednesday, a further two arrests have been made. A 14-year-old boy was arrested after refusing the leave the dispersal area under Section 35 Anti-Social, Crime and Policing Act 2014. A 17-year-old boy was arrested for theft of pedal cycle in the Chiswick Common area.

Inspector Steve Edwards from Chiswick and Brentford Safer Neighbourhood team said, "We have had numerous complaints about a number of young people causing a serious nuisance across Chiswick Common and the surrounding streets. They have been involved in criminality, anti-social behaviour and harassment of all those using or living in the area. The use of a dispersal zone is not taken lightly, but in this case needed to be done to allow people who frequent the Common and the High Road to use it without intimidation from this small number of people who are causing all the trouble"

On Monday 24 April police officers were assaulted as they tried to make arrests after a large gang of between 40 and 50 young people had congregated on Chiswick Back Common at around 4pm. Police vans had been in the area following complaints from members of the public about the group causing a disturbance and throwing bottles.

As officers approached the group they dispersed in different directions but the police managed to detain one. At this point others in the group turned on them and an officer was assaulted. Four people were arrested at the scene for assaulting the officers, causing obstruction and possession of what the police describe as 'illegal items'.

At some point around this time, witnesses described school children running up and down the High Road with some of them then turning down Devonshire Road. Reinforcements were called in from elsewhere in the borough with six police cars arriving at the scene and remaining until after 6.30pm.

At about 6pm, near West Kebab, a group of young people confronted and assaulted a member of public in the street before making off towards Windmill Road and Chiswick Back Common. The man who was assaulted is believed to be in his fifties. He took refuge in the Kitchen and Pantry cafe but was pursued by his assailants. Police arrived and identified two of the suspects who were duly arrested. They were unable to confirm reports elsewhere in the media that the dispute arose over a North Face jacket. Staff at the cafe would not discuss the incident.

It is not known at this stage if this incident is linked with the earlier disturbance, but the police are continuing their investigation with this possibility in mind.

Police van parked at Chiswick Common

A 70-year-old resident of nearby Homecross House said that the incident involving gangs of schoolchildren, many in uniform, was very upsetting. She described seeing 12 police cars around the Common and fights going on saying, "There must have been twenty police there, it was really disgusting. I was looking at the whole situation from my window. It started around 4.30pm and it's the second time this has happened - each time it gets bigger."

Police have been constantly patrolling the area around Chiswick Common for the past two weeks amidst reports of anti-social behaviour including drugs, and knives. However the speed of the incident took them by surprise and they had to hurriedly call for back-up.

It is thought that most of the teenagers are coming from areas such as Shepherd's Bush and Acton but some Chiswick youths are also believed to have been involved. Special police liaison officers have gone into schools to try to find out the ringleaders. A police spokesman said that they had some video footage of the incident and also had identified some of those involved.

It is not known why the area has become a centre for youths gathering and causing trouble in recent weeks but it is thought social media has played a role in getting the word out. There are not believed to be any gangs involved. Several local residents have complained about being approached by youngsters asking for cigarettes, and some people have had chips thrown at them.

Earlier this month 26-year old man received a knife injury to the chest during an incident on the Common while a large gathering was present. He was treated in hospital for the injury and released. Police are seeking a suspect, described as a male aged between 20-25 years, about 5 ft 8 inches tall, who may have run towards Chiswick High Road through an alleyway to make his escape. Police have appealed for witnesses.

Police on Windmill Road after the incident on Monday

Picture @aliceterry_w4

April 28, 2017