http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/school-holiday-hell-outofcontrol-teens-turn-shopping-centres-into-war-zones/news-story/736fd0a7436f5aa5ad7c623faf14d90e

SUBURBAN shopping malls are operating as de facto daycare centres for bored and ­aggressive children who are fighting, using drugs, smoking and stealing to pass the time during school holidays.

A special investigation by The Saturday Telegraph can reveal teens are participating in violent fist fights, while children as young as 11 are roaming around smoking and drinking alcohol.

Retailers have been forced to put on extra staff to combat huge spikes in shoplifting, with some saying the crime wave by child thieves as young as seven has been “out of control” over the school break.

Tobacconists say they have been bombarded by children trying to buy cigarettes.

The Saturday Telegraph this week visited Western Sydney shopping centres where teens — who don’t start returning to school until Wednesday — spoke of others dealing drugs and underage kids smoking in plain sight.



“I’ll be honest, a lot of people have done crime here ... anything to make money ... like selling drugs, marijuana,” one 16-year-old said.

Another 17-year-old said kids as young as 11 “hung out” with people up to the age of 23 to drink alcohol “all night”.

“For kids around this area (Blacktown), the shopping centre is the only thing here. It’s like a playground,” he said.

“During the day time there is not much to do, but when night hits most are juvenile drinkers, at night here you walk around with drinks ... You get people to buy them, people won’t say no.”

There are also fears some youths are putting themselves in danger by using social media app Snapchat to meet up with strangers.

Police have warned teenagers they will be caught and dealt with.

“Criminal behaviour at any age will not be tolerated and will be dealt with accordingly,” a police spokesman said.

“The vast majority of teenagers who use shopping centres as a social network during the school holidays do so responsibly.

“Unfortunately, there will always be a small element who do the wrong thing.”



I went into  the Reject shop today.....and there was a bored mum walking around pushing an empty pram whilst her 3 kids tore around the shop they were picking up drinking bottles and putting them in their mouths...in the pet dept they were throwing the stuffed toys up and down the aisle.. mum just ignored it  i got out quick as I so wanted to say something I was with my daughter though and she gave me one of her looks.... :-?