A SHOP owner locked himself and a PCSO in his store while a gang of 25 youths ran riot.
Three of the yobs were also inside the shop while the ones outside, hiding their faces with hoodies and scarves, smashed the front window and shouted abuse.
The owner of Nythe Mini Market says that a dispersal order which came into effect at the beginning of the month has had an adverse effect with more problems than ever.
Arumugam Raveendran said: "Since January we have had a sign on the door that says no under 18s are allowed after 7pm and until this month that has worked well.
"On Wednesday night there were 25 of them out there. Three of them came in and when we told them they couldn't they started shouting and making violent threats.
"We rang 999. They tried to attack me so we locked the door.
"A PCSO came and we let him in but he couldn't deal with it so he called for police."
Within five minutes three police cars had turned up and the gang ran off.
The incident at the Nythe Drive shop happened just before 10.30pm on Wednesday.
Mr Raveendran said: "There were about 25 of them and they are not local, they are from Park North, Penhill and West Swindon.
"Some of them are already banned from the shop and we know them."
He says the majority of the group, which was made up of boys and girls, were under 18.
As reported in the Adver at the time a dispersal order covering the area came into force on October 1.
The six month order means police have the power to move on any groups causing trouble.
But Mr Raveendran said: "How come you can have 25 people like that when there's a dispersal order?
"They were shouting and all drunk and I was very scared.
"When they started kicking the window it sounded like the whole shop was coming down.
"The PCSO was here and he couldn't stop them."
Coun Dale Heenan (Con, Covingham and Nythe) said: "If the police can't enforce a basic dispersal order they're not doing their job properly.
"Residents want to be reassured they will deal with this when there is an issue."
http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/swindonnewsheadlines/display.var.1757726.0.yobs_put_shop_under_siege.php
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