A woman has vowed never to visit Bristol again after she and a host of other shoppers were left terrified as a ‘mob of up to 100 screaming teenagers’ ran amok through Cabot Circus shopping centre.
Police have launched an investigation and are reviewing CCTV footage after claims that security in the shopping centre were over-run in what one eyewitness described as a series of violent incidents involving ‘feral, savage’ yobs.
Officers were called to the shopping centre at around 7.30pm on Saturday evening and said they are now investigating two separate incidents involving ‘a large number of young people’.
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One eye-witness said she and other passers-by had to intervene to stop one girl getting beaten up by another in an attack which was being watched and filmed by a ‘huge’ group of whooping youngsters, who then ran through the shopping centre, and attacked another man, kicking him on the ground.
Cabot Circus managers said they are supporting the police in their investigation, and pledged that the ‘safety and security’ of their shoppers ‘always our top priority’.
The woman, who declined to be named, had travelled from the north of Gloucestershire to join eight friends in a trip to the theatre and parked at the Cabot Circus car par on Saturday afternoon. She and her friends were returning to the car park after a meal, but as they approached the corner of Broadmead and Penn Street at the entrance to Cabot Circus, she said she could not believe what she saw or heard.
“The first thing was the noise, it was incredible - a large group of young people and they were all whooping and screaming, and almost all of them had their phones out, and they had surrounded these two girls who were fighting,” she said.
“I ran in and another couple who were passing by did the same, and tried to separate the girls. One of them was attacking the other and had a handful of her hair and just kept punching her in the face as I was trying to separate them. I grabbed the girl who was getting hit, and tried to get her away.
“There was a security guard there, and as we were surrounded by these kids, I asked what he was doing and he said ‘there’s just one of me, what could I do, they would tear me apart’. These kids were just running amok. There was a family in the doorway of the Zara store and we sheltered in there with them. We called the police and they said they would come. Then the mob ran towards Sainsbury's and attacked another young lad in the street, with at least three kicking him in the head as he lay on the ground.
“It actually wasn’t the violence itself that was the most shocking thing, it was the mob mentality of this huge group of young people. They were children, I’d say the youngest was 13 and the oldest no more than 17. I’m 48 and I’d never seen violence like that. They were all together, running from one fight to another, it was utterly terrifying. There must have been about 100 of them.
“They all had their phones our and they were all filming. At one point they all ran off up to near the House of Fraser store, whooping and hollering and screaming. I didn't see what happened up there, but then they were walking back, looking at whatever violence it was they’d filmed there, joking and showing each other,” she added.
“They were chasing this young girl through the shopping centre like a pack of animals. I don’t think I can adequately portray the feral, savage nature of what we witnessed. I have never before seen such a frightening exhibition of pure violence. The excitement from the children watching and filming was utterly shocking,” she added.
“The security guard at Cabot Circus refused to get involved and just stood by - he said this was nothing new and happens every weekend. I will never go to Bristol again, which is a shame, because it’s lovely city. But that was a shocking experience,” she added. “This was smack bang inside what is essentially the jewel of Bristol's crown when it comes to shopping, and main name eateries in the city. The Visit Bristol website advertises what a wonderful family friendly place it is - I can say for certain that I will not be visiting Bristol city centre again in a hurry nor will I recommend it to any friends or family,” she added.
A spokesperson for Cabot Circus played down the scale of the crowd and the incidents, but did confirm security staff were supporting the police in their investigation.
“We can confirm that an incident occurred at Cabot Circus on Saturday evening,” she said. “Police attended and we supported them with their enquiries. The safety and security of our shoppers and colleagues is always our top priority,” she added.
Avon and Somerset police have launched an investigation and said there were two separate incidents involving a ‘large number of young people’, and said they are sifting through CCTV to identify the main perpetrators.
“In one incident a 16-year-old girl was assaulted by another girl outside HSBC, as other teenagers filmed the incident. The girl was hit on the head and had her hair pulled,” she said. “Shortly after, a 19-year-old man was assaulted by a different group of teenagers. The victim was pushed to the ground and kicked to the face. He sustained grazing to his elbow and knee.
All injuries sustained were minor. We are treating these incidents as isolated. Investigations into both incidents are ongoing and officers will be reviewing CCTV and other video footage and carrying out enquiries.
“We are taking this matter seriously and officers from our neighbourhood policing team are working with Cabot Circus and their security team to ensure the safety of all shoppers and business owners.
“The neighbourhood team have been conducting reassurance patrols in the area since the incidents.
“If anyone was in the area at the time of the incidents and has any information or relevant footage, please call 101 and quote reference 5223016411 regarding the assault on the 16-year-old girl or reference 5223016456 in relation to the second assault on the man,” she added.
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