STAFF of shops in a precinct in Flintshire are joining forces to quell worsening anti-social behaviour in and around their premises.

Shops in Buckley precinct will work together following a number of 'disgraceful' incidents involving a gang of youths on Tuesday (September 3).

Blake Jones, staff member at Costa Coffee, told the Leader that the problems have been persistent over the last year, but said Tuesday's incidents were worse than ever.

He said: "It's something that happens quite often. We always have youths hanging around the precinct causing problems for the shops but last night got completely out of hand.

"The youths were squaring up to the Iceland staff, they were spitting on shop floors and smoking in the precinct, the mess they made was disgusting.

"There is graffiti on the wall at side of Barnardos which we think was from them as we hadn't seen it before."

The Leader: Police have released CCTV footage of the group at Buckley precinct. Police have released CCTV footage of the group at Buckley precinct.

Blake also told of how the group were grabbing the bananas from outside Iceland and throwing them through the store after being told to leave.

He added: "The Iceland staff really stood their ground and did what they could to keep control of them, one of them was having abuse thrown at her calling her all names under the sun while another was near enough hiding away with really bad anxiety kicked off because of it.

"A local lad also tied his dog up by us and went towards the youths and told them to pack it in and move along, at this point the youths then followed the lad down the precinct to gang up on him but it soon cleared as the police arrived."

The Leader: Costa Coffee staff member Blake Jones and Iceland staff members Beth Lewis and Pauline Wilbraham.Costa Coffee staff member Blake Jones and Iceland staff members Beth Lewis and Pauline Wilbraham.

And now Blake, and other members of staff of the precinct's shops, is looking to liaise with other stores in a collective effort to help reduce the behaviour.

He said: "We want to be able to track this between us all and be able to warn other stores about what's happening around and hopefully collect us all together in a group, whether that's on Whatsapp or whatever.

"We know each other really well, we're all friends and we just want to work together as one to help - it's disgraceful, people should feel safe in their workplace and when they go out to the shops."

A North Wales Police spokesman said: "We were called at 5.45pm on Tuesday (September 3) to Buckley shopping centre following reports of anti-social behaviour involving a group of 10 youths.

"Officers spoke to the group on scene and took one of the group home."