Teen mobs clash with police after ‘Easter Egg Hunt’ spirals into chaos

Gangs of youths clashed with police in Milton Keynes on Saturday after a social media Easter egg hunt turned chaotic, in the latest outbreak of teenage mob disorder to sweep England.

Crowds gathered in Campbell Park at around 4.15pm after the event, which had been widely promoted online and drew more people than expected. 

Later in the afternoon, the gathering spilt into the town centre and Thames Valley police tried to break up the crowds.

By 7.15pm, large groups of teenagers swarmed a police car near The Point shopping centre, stopping it from moving, and a dispersal order was made at 7.26pm.

Social media footage showed officers grappling with young people outside Midsummer Place shopping centre, with one dragged to the ground as police told the crowd to move back.

One person was arrested but subsequently released. A small number of others were briefly detained.

The scenes follow two weekends of disorder in Clapham, where hundreds of teenagers looted shops and set fires after being gathered on group chats. 

The chaos happened Clapham High Street where families and passersby were barricaded inside shops including M&S as hundreds of youths piled through after schools broke up for Easter.

The Easter event in Milton Keynes was advertised on social media by trainer reseller Stars Sneakers and clothing retailer Grind & Garms, which offered trainers and tracksuits as prizes.

A Thames Valley Police spokesperson said: ‘We received a report of a large group gathering in Campbell Park yesterday around 4.15pm, following an Easter Egg Hunt event being promoted on social media, which drew a large number of people.’

‘Our officers engaged with organisers and monitored the situation which was initially good-natured. As the numbers increased and crowd behaviour changed, a Section 34 dispersal order for Central Milton Keynes was authorised at 7.26pm yesterday.’

‘A small number of individuals were briefly detained to prevent further disturbance taking place. One person was arrested but then de-arrested.’

‘We understand that large gatherings in public spaces can cause concern, especially when they appear to grow spontaneously, and when videos circulate online. 

‘Decisions were taken to protect the wider community, those taking part, and our officers; all powers were used proportionately for public safety.’

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