Mayor of London condemns Clapham incidents
Sir Sadiq Khan's warning young people taking part in an online trend they could face police action
Sir Sadiq Khan has condemned the frightening scenes of teenagers, encouraged by social media, who swarmed a London high street as “utterly unacceptable” and said that further arrests were likely within days.
The London mayor said “the culprits will face the full force of the law” and police were working with social media companies to try to clamp down on “viral online content which promotes violence and theft”.
Teenagers arranged to meet in Clapham on Saturday and Tuesday as part of so-called “link-ups” using social media apps including TikTok and Snapchat, before they surged into shops.
About 100 officers responded to antisocial behaviour on Tuesday, according to the Metropolitan Police, and five people were assaulted, including four police officers.
In a statement issued as residents look forward to the bank holiday weekend, Sir Sadiq said: “The scenes we saw in Clapham earlier this week were utterly unacceptable.
“Not only did they spread fear in the local community, but assaulting and intimidating hard-working retail staff and police officers are serious offences.”
He said “more arrests are likely to follow over the coming days” as officers continue to review CCTV and bodyworn video.
The Met are taking “a zero-tolerance approach to any form of criminality” and have a ” a strong policing plan” to try to tackle the issue.
On the ground, this includes increasing officer numbers in hotspot areas and potentially using dispersal orders.
Sir Sadiq added: “The police are also working with social media companies to stop footage circulating on their platforms that encourages or co-ordinates criminal behaviour.
“The dissemination of viral online content which promotes violence and theft can have damaging real-life consequences both for frontline workers and communities across the country.
“It breaks down our social fabric and undermines community cohesion.”
Detective Chief Superintendent Emma Bond, who leads policing in the area, has urged parents or guardians to take responsibility and make sure they know where they are over the weekend.
She has said police will have “a strong, visible presence” and officers will “respond robustly” to any reports of disorder, thefts or planned meet-ups.
Similar scenes were seen in Birmingham city centre on Friday after schools there broke up for the Easter holidays.
A West Midlands Police spokesman previously said: “We’re aware that Birmingham city centre often sees an influx of schoolchildren on the day schools break up for half-term.
“Last Friday, a handful of people were arrested for public order offences and dealt with accordingly.
“Local officers worked closely with the local community, Bullring and local partners to reduce further disruption and disperse the crowd.”