A woman who witnessed a fight in Harrow town centre involving around 70 teenagers has spoken of how she saw people “screaming, shouting and pushing” each other in “scary” scenes.
The Metropolitan Police were called to the town centre at 5.30pm on Friday (September 28) following reports of a mass brawl involving a large group of youths.
Security from St Ann’s Shopping Centre told officers that they "had a group of around 70 teenagers fighting in the food hall", and the disturbance quickly escalated into “major disorder” .
One 20-year-old childminder, who was with two young children at the time of the incident, was walking near to Harrow on the Hill train station when she witnessed the mass brawl.
The woman, who did not wish to be named, told getwestlondon: “We could see people screaming, shouting, pushing and dragging each other. We could also hear the police sirens in the distance.
“It was very scary. If I was on my own I would have just got any random bus but because I was with two children under the age of 10 it was even scarier.
“I was just thinking ‘I have to get them home safe’. It was awful.”
Police officers from Harrow, Brent, the Violent Crime Taskforce and Safer Transport rushed to the scene.
Part of St Ann’s was temporarily closed whilst the youths were dispersed.
Four youths have been arrested in relation to the incident, while two police officers were assaulted and obtained minor injuries.
Following the incident, a Section 35 dispersal zone was put in place throughout Harrow town centre.
“We also watched someone get run over,” the woman who witnessed the incident added.
“After everything we ended up getting on a bus and as we get on one of the teenagers ran onto the street and was hit by a car. It was a girl and she was on the floor for a couple of seconds.
“People were screaming and shouting and one of the police officers rushed over and helped her on her feet. She seemed fine in the end.”
Similar brawl occurred 24 hours before
The ugly scenes occurred just 24 hours after a similar brawl erupted at the junction of College Road and Station Road, outside Barclays bank.
Met Police officers rushed to Station Road at 6.35pm on Thursday (September 27) after reports of a fight involving "a number of male and female teenagers" outside the bank.
Social media reports estimated between 50 and 60 people were involved.
In a video shared online, youths can be seen running into the road, with drivers beeping their horns at them as vehicles passed by in the rush-hour traffic.
The woman filming expresses her fears that people involved may have knives and also comments that someone can be seen lying in the street.
Police stated, though, that no injuries were reported.
‘Residents are concerned’
Scenes such as these will no doubt concern many who live in Harrow, and the woman witness believes “something needs to change”.
“I am concerned at the moment. I am young myself and I know I wasn’t doing stuff like this four years ago,” said the woman.
“Four years ago I would go out and meet friends in the park but now all of these kids are fighting. It’s ridiculous and really is awful.
“People say ‘where are their parents’ but a parent cannot babysit their child until they are 20. I would say once a child is old enough to understand their actions it’s their decision what path they follow.
Shocking violence in Harrow
“They are old enough to realise what is good and what is bad.”
But what needs to be done to ensure incidents such as these don’t happen again?
“The police need to carry out more patrols around the town centre as I don’t think there is enough of them,” the woman added.
“They should be doing this in busy areas, like near schools and in the town centre, and I think that would help.
“I don’t think what is happening in London in general is right. It’s awful and something needs to change.”
