Gang on warpath at Tweed

A GANG of youths threatened to bash a group of schoolchildren for their shoes and phones at a popular shopping centre, a Currumbin mother has revealed.

The woman, wishing to remain anonymous, said the youths approached her 13year-old daughter and friends at Tweed City Shopping Centre at 1.50pm on Wednesday.

She said the youths demanded the teens, including the woman’s nephew, hand over their shoes and phones or they would break his arm.

The teens started walking towards the cinemas to escape the situation but the woman said it escalated and there was no help from bystanders.

“The leader was a big kid and the group was mostly boys,” she said.

“They got on their phones and started calling their other friends who were in the centre. Then the group doubled from about six to nearly 13 to 14.”

She said her daughter and her nephew were “terrified” as the gang blocked the exits of the shopping centre, including the lift, and continued to threaten the teens.

“I got a text message from my daughter that said: ‘Mum come quick and get the police.’

“I couldn’t get my daughter to answer her phone because she was too scared to produce it.

“She said they were right up in their faces and they would drag them down the stairs and bash them if they tried to leave.

“My nephew eventually answered the phone and told me they were at the cinemas.

“I rang centre management and told them to get security up there now.”

The woman said the youths fled as soon as they saw security approaching. She said she had since been in contact with police and would lodge an official complaint.

Tweed City Shopping Centre management said they were not aware of the incident.