They’re burning down hotels. They’re harrassing shopkeepers. They’re assaulting pedestrians and they’re bricking windows.
Gone is the age of the back alley boys, welcome to the age of the ‘girl gangs.’
The alarming trend, which has played out in British villages, towns, and cities this year has seen groups of young girls involved, accused and charged with a variety of offences not normally associated with their age or sex.
These include arson attacks, brazen thefts, violent assaults and drug running, as well as the general terrorising of innocents, in shocking incidents that spare neither the young or the elderly.
And the carnage shows no signs of abating.
Last week, a 14-year-old schoolgirl was arrested after a ‘deliberate’ blaze destroyed an abandoned Grade I-listed manor house in Liverpool.
It follows a similar incident also this month which saw two teenage girls arrested on suspicion of arson after a much-loved historic hotel went up in flames in Worcestershire.
In a separate incident, a 16-year-old girl was among three suspects charged with murder after a man in his 40s was killed on the Isle of Sheppey.
In another corner of the country, a female gang has become so notorious with locals for swigging on bottles of prosecco and jumping over rooftops that they have been nicknamed ‘the little s****’.
And in Southampton, shopkeepers have been plagued by feral teens throwing knives inside shops, daubing cartoon penises on walls, blaring pornography from portable speakers and pelting eggs at stunned passers-by – all in broad daylight and often filmed for TikTok.
The shameful escalation in schoolgirls transforming from law-abiding citizens into violent criminals has not gone unnoticed by experts.
One child psychologist told the Daily Mail social media had played an important role in ‘glamourising gang life’ with vulnerable girls from troubled backgrounds drawn into the ‘status and power’ of being in a gang.
Key findings in a report published by the Local Government Association (LGA) last November also cited the influence of social media and highlighted the reasons why young females are turning to violent crime.
LIVERPOOL: A 14-year-old schoolgirl was arrested after a ‘deliberate’ blaze destroyed an abandoned Grade I-listed manor house
EXETER: Young females have been involved in arson attacks, brazen thefts, violent assaults and drug running, as well as the general terrorising of innocents, in shocking incidents that spare neither the young or the elderly
The girl gang in Whipton has become so notorious with locals for swigging on bottles of prosecco and jumping over rooftops that they have been nicknamed ‘the little s****’
SOUTHAMPTON: Shopkeepers have been plagued by feral teens throwing knives inside shops, daubing cartoon penises on walls, blaring pornography from portable speakers and pelting eggs at stunned passers-by – all in broad daylight and often filmed for TikTok
The research makes for eye-opening reading. It noted a spike in attacks on emergency workers, girls being used as drug mules, and shoplifting being a testing ground before they carry out more serious crimes, or for them to ‘feel like a boss’.
Young females are additionally being used by boys to lure other unsuspecting males to locations before attacking their victims, or have directly engaged in violence with other rival girls.
In many cases, the violence is being filmed and shared on social media – in a spate of incidents that include the recent shocking murder of 75-year-old Fredi Rivero, who was beaten to death by three teenage girls in Islington, north London in February.
The report also cites a study that found females are not ‘acting like men but have rather ‘internalised misogyny’ and constructed ‘their own bad ass femininity’.
Dr Catherine Cloak at the University of East London, who first published her research in 2018, highlighted that young women are ‘not content with existing on the periphery of the action’ and in some cases can show ‘more vicious behaviours than their male peers.’
She wrote: ‘In addition to carrying drugs and weapons, they can be involved in robberies and the sale and supply of drugs.
‘Young women are not necessarily second class citizens in these spaces, they are hustlers and leaders of their peers…in order to be known as someone who is a bad ass and not to be tested.’
Child psychologist Dr Joanna Silver told the Daily Mail that social media has played a role in making gang behaviour appear to be ‘glamorous’.
WORCESTER: Two teenage girls were arrested earlier this month on suspicion of arson after the historic Raven Hotel in Droitwich Spa went up in flames
KENT: A 16-year-old girl was among three suspects charged with murder after a man in his 40s was killed on the Isle of Sheppey. Pictured: Police search the scene near Warden Bay beach
The victim has been revealed as Alexander Cashford (pictured), 49, as police continue to investigate the circumstances leading to his death
A group of police officers pictured combing an area of the beach in Leysdown-on-Sea
She said: ‘Adolescence is always a difficult time, and I think it’s probably particularly difficult with the pressures with social media.
‘[But] people who coach us on social media, they’re not experts. They can make it look glamorous, and give people what they think that they need, especially if they’ve got unmet emotional needs, but the reality can be very different.’
Dr Silver said unpicking the reasons why young females want to engage in criminal and violent behaviour would be more beneficial than sending them to detention centres and prison.
The LGA study revealed that childhood trauma, including sexual and domestic abuse, poverty, negative school experiences, and mistrust of police officers and social workers are all root causes of girls turning to violence.
These vulnerabilities could lead to young females seeking out ‘a sense of community’ where they felt unsupported at home and school.
Dr Silver explained: ‘I think [gangs] can be a way of people trying to create almost a sense of community, perhaps like the traditional ways in which we found community in the old days with churches and things like that.’
At first, joining such gangs can ‘feel very attractive’, but many later feel they cannot leave.
‘They will worry that they are seen as not loyal, or will be excluded, or subjected to physical threats. So gangs can capture vulnerable people and it’s important to think about how we manage this.
LONDON: Earlier this year, three teenage girls admitted killing 75-year-old Fredi Rivero in a vicious street attack filmed on a mobile phone in Islington, north London
CCTV pictures show pensioner Fredi Rivero before he was fatally attacked at around 11.35pm on February 27
Fredi Rivero (above) was near a bus stop in Islington, north London, on February 27, when the teenagers got off a bus and surrounded him
‘Punishing may not be the answer. More understanding of what it is that is drawing people in, and working with the trauma, or the low self-esteem, or the instability, is probably a much more effective way than just going straight to punishment.’
One way experts hope to tackle the problem is through early intervention of those most at risk by helping to change their behaviours and thinking.
The Summer Jobs Programme is a new initiative run by UK Youth which provides paid work placements to help young people turn away from a life of crime.
It is co-ordinated by the Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) and funded by the Youth Endowment Fund, in conjunction with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Youth Futures Foundation.
Tom McBride, director of the Ending Youth Violence Lab at BIT, said: ‘US-based initiatives that provide short-term paid work during the summer holidays have proved effective at helping young people to avoid serious violence.
‘In the UK, we co-designed the Summer Jobs Programme to see if we can replicate the success of US programmes.
‘Following a successful pilot last year, it is being rolled out to further trials so we have a clear understanding of what works best to help young people move away from potential criminal behaviour.
‘We know that the interventions with the most promise involve developing young people’s emotional regulation and self-confidence, as well as activities that support the development of cooperation and empathy.’
LANCASHIRE: Olivia Allan, 13, was left with serious injuries after being allegedly ‘kicked like a football’ by a gang of girls in Morecambe, Lancashire
Olivia suffered swelling, scars and chipped teeth, as well as injuries to her back, neck and legs
Olivia, who was also left with bruising and footprints on her legs, spent three nights in hospital in the aftermath of the assault
Experts have cited their concerns amid a string of serious incidents involving young females.
On Monday, two teenage girls, aged 13 and 14, were arrested on suspicion of arson after the derelict Raven Hotel in Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire, was set ablaze. They have both been released on bail.
The historic Grade ll-listed hotel building dated back to the 16th century after a previous structure was damaged in a fire in 1290, and King Charles II is said to have lodged there in 1645.
But the hotel closed in 2010 and had fallen into significant disrepair, despite plans having been approved in 2022 for its conversion into 48 homes and flats.
Meanwhile, a 16-year-old girl was arrested alongside two boys aged 14 and 15 after a man in his 40s was killed on the Isle of Sheppey. On Wednesday, the three were charged with murder by joint venture.
Alexander Cashford, 49, was found dead with multiple serious injuries in Leysdown-on-Sea on Sunday.
Kent Police were called to reports of ‘an altercation’ in the Warden Bay Road area, near to Jetty Road, shortly after 7pm.
The force say it is alleged the victim was assaulted following a disturbance involving a small group of people.
In Southampton, shopkeepers have been plagued by feral teens throwing knives, daubing penises on walls and pelting eggs. Pictured: A teen flipping off the manager of Phone Hub
Pictured: The door of Subway was smashed by the unprovoked feral girl gang one night
Pictured: One of the thieving teenagers taking an item from Subway. The pack of girls spend every afternoon drunk attempting to steal the cookie cabinet from Subway
According to eyewitnesses, the man was struck on the head with a large concrete slab.
The three suspects, who are all from London, were remanded in custody to appear before Medway Magistrates’ Court today.
Meanwhile a 12 year old girl, arrested on August 12 in Basildon in connection with the incident, remains in custody while enquiries continue.
Earlier this year, three teenage girls admitted killing a 75-year-old man in a vicious street attack that was filmed on a mobile phone.
Fredi Rivero was near a bus stop in Islington, north London, on February 27, when the teenagers got off a bus and surrounded him.
The youths, aged 15, 16 and 17, pushed, shoved, kicked and punched Mr Rivero, with one of them filming the incident on her phone and grabbing his glasses.
As part of the police investigation, officers recovered CCTV footage of the assault in which the oldest girl was seen to punch the victim in the head causing him to fall backwards.
Police were called at 11.25pm to reports of the disturbance and found Mr Rivero unconscious on the pavement with a severe head injury and in cardiac arrest.
Sussex Police issued dispersal orders covering the West Sussex village of Barnham after incidents including this attack involving girls at a rail station
The Bolivian national was taken to the Royal London Hospital where he later died.
In June, the girls, who cannot be identified because of their ages, appeared via video link at the Old Bailey before Judge Judy Khan KC and pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
They are due to be sentenced in September.
Meanwhile, residents of Whipton, Exeter reported that a ‘feral’ gang of prosecco-guzzling teenage girls have been terrorising their community.
Terrified locals told Daily Mail in June that they are being plagued by up to a dozen schoolgirls, who run riot in the streets, shoplifting, smashing windows, slashing tyres and being verbally abusive.
The school children, nicknamed ‘the little s****’, have also been caught drinking big bottles of alcohol on their roof-hopping antics.
Terrified of what they might do, locals say ‘we’re nice to them because if you’re not you could have your windows put through.’
Police have made frequent visits to the area with two arrests already having been made and a number of antisocial behaviour orders.
There have also been reports of ‘obscene’ graffiti and racial abuse, according to the local councillor Liz Pole, as residents and officials are desperate to put an end to the teens who have come to run their streets.
The area may be regaining its reputation as the ‘Wild West’ of Exeter, which was formally attributed to a pub on the street because it was fraught with fights, drugs and intimidating behaviour.
The girls, said to be around 14 years old, enjoy being chased by cops and arrested as they think it gives them ‘street cred’, locals say, as police action has done nothing to stop them.
One shop worker in the area told how the girl gang have been verbally abusive to other staff and he fears the torment could escalate towards other children.
‘One of my colleagues was driving past one afternoon and asked them not to come in the shop again, but they just yelled at her “f***k off, you “f***ing c**t”, so they do come across as feral.
‘What I’ve heard in the area is they’ve slashed people’s tyres and smashed windows.
‘I’m not worried they’ll get violent with us, but god knows what they’ll be like to kids. They’re not scared of adults, so who knows what they could do to children their age.’
In April, Daily Mail reported that the British Transport Police were hunting young female suspects over unprovoked attacks on pensioners on Southeastern rail services.
The linked incidents on March 18, on routes going through south London came within an hour of each other and were thought to have been carried out by the same group.
The first unfolded at about 9.30pm when an elderly man was travelling on a Southeastern service from London Bridge to Woolwich Arsenal.
The victim was reportedly attacked without warning by a group of three girls in what officers branded a ‘vicious and cowardly’ assault.
Just over an hour later, at about 11pm, a second victim – this time an elderly woman – was targeted on a different train heading from London Bridge to Erith.
One of the girls was said to have approached the woman before launching an assault and a female passenger who stepped in to help then faced aggression from the attacker, police said.
Investigations are also continuing after 13-year-old pupil Olivia Allan was left with serious injuries after being allegedly ‘kicked like a football’ by a gang of girls in Morecambe, Lancashire.
Olivia sustained chipped teeth and injuries to her back and neck after she was set upon as she walked home from school. According to her mother, she came close to suffering permanent brain damage.
Footage of the attack circulated on social media shortly afterwards and showed one perpetrator ‘raining down blows’ to Olivia’s face after clambering on to her back, said her mother Keighley Marie, who claimed the assault was premeditated.
Olivia, who was also left with bruising and footprints on her legs, spent three nights in hospital in the aftermath of the assault.
Lancashire Police arrested a 12-year-old girl on suspicion of assault shortly after the incident in March.
