Gangs of Drunk 'Nine-Year-Olds' Terrorizing U.K. Town Residents

A town in Devon, U.K., has been taken over by gangsof kids and teenagers who terrorize residents and the local police.

Multiple locals have shared their horror stories of how these kids steal and harass adults after school closes and aren't afraid of the police. They reportedly get drunk and loiter around the town until nighttime.

One local attributed the bad behavior to the lack of entertainment in the town, which is the norm for seaside towns after the tourist season ends in the summer. Many, including Devon, also suffer from unemployment, so there's nothing for the kids to do.

Locals in Paignton, Devon, a U.K. town, have become overwhelmed by gangs of drunk kids and teenagers. These kids, most of them within the range of 11 to 14, have taken over the streets and reportedly taunt and mock police and beat up adults who run stores or try to correct them.

According to various locals, the trouble starts once school closes, and the kids take to multiple stores to shoplift drinks. One account came from Mayooran Kailainathan, who runs the town's news business.

He told The Sun, "I have only been open a month and have had to call the police seven or eight times. They come in after school and one will try to distract you while the others will just grab whatever drinks they can. They aren't worried when the police come, they don't even run away, they just stand there drinking until 9 pm usually."

Kailainathan shared that he's at a loss about what to do, is scared, and lacks sleep because the terror doesn't stop. He's been forced to hire two extra workers from 4 pm, which costs about £200 [$254] extra weekly, in addition to his daily losses due to the theft.

One incident showing the extent of the situation in Paignton is the recent arrest of an 11-year-old. Cops suspected the young boy of being drunk and disorderly around the town. A police spokesman spoke to The Sun with more information about the arrest.

They said, "An 11-year-old boy from Paignton was arrested on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly in a public place. He was later released under investigation while inquiries continue."

According to business owners in the town, majorly those with stores on Torbay Road, which is known as the "Golden Mile," the kids' terror goes on all through the year. They said that even in the summer when business picks up, there's still a high level of open theft and violence if they're confronted.

A Paignton local, Carol Leadbetter, a 67-year-old retired cleaner, spoke to the news outlet about her experience with the kids. She revealed that she's reduced her visits to the town center in the afternoon because of the risk and blamed the parents for not controlling their children better.

She said, "Who knows what the parents are up to while their kids run wild? It's so sad that it's come to 11-year-olds getting drunk. If I saw them, I would have to say something, I'd like to ask them if their mum knows what they are doing?"

Another local, Charlotte Collings, said she's familiar with some of the misbehaving children and thinks they act out because of boredom. She noted, "I think a lot of the trouble is because there is nothing for kids to do here. Last week, my nephew got mugged and phoned 999 while it was happening but was told to find his mum and ring 101."

Like many of Britain's seaside towns, Paignton suffers from these troubles because of its heavy reliance on tourism for business and entertainment. Every year, when summer starts, thousands of people move from the big cities to these small towns along the coastline, like Devon and Cornwall.

However, when mass tourism ends, the youth take to the streets to find their own fund. Business owners shared that they have started using walkie-talkies to inform each other when the kids start hitting up shops.

Unemployment in these towns has risen significantly since 2018. In December 2023, the Office for National Statistics released its official unemployment statistics in Torbay. There were reportedly 2,550 benefit claimants out of a population of 139,400, which is almost double their figure of 1,405 for 2018.