A Morrisons supermarket branch has banned large groups of children from entering the premises in the evening due to complaints about anti-social behaviour.
After 5pm, groups of individuals under the age of 16 will not be able to enter the Morrisons store in Abergavenny. Morrisons has not released any further details about how long the ban will be in place or how it will be implemented.
A spokesperson from Morrisons said: "Our stores should be safe and welcoming places to work and shop. We don't tolerate anti-social behaviour and for that reason, large groups of individuals under the age of 16 are restricted in our Abergavenny store after 5pm." You can get more local news and other story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.
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The decision has already sparked a reaction on social media. Shaun Heffernan said: "Was in there last week and they were playing up and being abusive to the girls in there." While Jenna Hopkins said: I’ve gone a few times in the evenings as it’s not as busy and I suffer anxiety and there have been groups of kids being loud and intimidating. I think this is something that should be dealt with for the town as they will only move on and harass other places."
One shopper said: "It’s because of the kids the staff are getting abused by a lot of the kids that come in and are causing problems, Morrisons have to phone the police, things are getting thrown at staff etc."
One person said they had seen young people shoplifting items like vapes and alcohol, while another said they had seen some young people riding bikes up the aisles.
But not everyone was in favour of the ban. Lisa Yokwe said: "Morrisons, if this post is true, could you kindly consider a case by case basis or allowing young people with letter/ID card etc that highlights that they are a young carer to continue to be allowed into the store without an adult after 5pm?
"I think most people will appreciate that staff abuse and general disruption, abusive and aggressive behaviour by teenagers (or anyone of any age) cannot be tolerated and measures should be put in place. However, young carers can already face additional challenges as a direct result of their caring role and for some families it is essential for a young person to shop for the household so to put a blanket ban on teenagers accessing the store will pose some real disadvantages for the amazing young people who are caring unpaid."
But a spokesperson from Morrisons added: "We are not stopping all under 16s entering the store. We have had a couple of isolated incidents of anti-social behaviour in recent weeks and are therefore restricting large groups from coming in together."
And Rachel Nash said: "I’m not sure that means they should ban all under 18s tho (the post being commented on on social media said the ban was for under 18s, but it is actually for under 16s)….. what if some young lad/lass is shopping for a grandparent/parent for dinner??"
A spokesperson from Gwent Police said: "We were called to Morrisons on Park Road, Abergavenny, at around 7pm on Saturday 1 October following reports of anti-social behaviour (ASB).
"Officers attended to conduct a search of the area for anyone involved in this activity, but no-one was found at the location upon their arrival.
"Everyone has a right to feel safe, which is why tackling ASB is a priority for us here at Gwent Police. ASB is completely unacceptable and won’t be tolerated.
"If you’ve any concerns about ASB in your area, call 101 or send us a direct message on social media.
"You can also speak to us at one of our events or regular police surgeries – where you can meet your local officers and speak about what we’re doing to address the issues affecting our communities."
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