Jarrow convenience store targeted by groups of teenagers

Gangs of masked teenagers are leaving people petrified in their own homes in some areas of north-east England.

“They steal anything they want. They swear at me with the P word,” said Yogendran Mutthulingham, whose convenience store in Jarrow has been targeted by groups of youths.

He has been the victim of shoplifting, criminal damage and racist abuse.

"Then they came with a firework," he added. "They broke my house door with a kick. That’s why it’s very scary.”

The BBC has been told levels of anti-social behaviour (ASB) have escalated to serious and violent crime, with one town described as “lawless.”

A BBC North East investigation found 40,800 ASB reports went unattended by police in the region in 2023 – an average of 111 calls every day.

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