Shirley High Street grapples with persistent antisocial behaviour as youths test limits of policing

Shirley High Street, near Southampton, has emerged as a focal point in a national debate over antisocial behaviour, with shop staff reporting months of vandalism, theft, threats and even arson as youths move through the street with apparent boldness. The challenge has put pressure on police, councils and communities at a time when government officials say tackling such behaviour is a priority for public safety and neighbourhood renewal. Muhammad Usman, owner of a mobile-phone shop at the heart of the scene, says staff feel exposed and powerless as incidents accumulate.

"Film me all you want," a 14-year-old girl told him, as she and others continued their activities around the shop. Earlier, Muhammad had said the danger felt real: a threat by a teenager to kill him, and repeated episodes of harassment that have left staff on edge. "The police are never ever going to help you," one shopkeeper recalled, underscoring a sense that perpetrators may be acting with impunity. "It’s getting worse, day by day," Muhammad adds, explaining that the burden has stretched his business and his staff’s sense of safety. CCTV footage has captured several episodes of damage and theft in the area, reinforcing a broader pattern of antisocial behaviour that has stretched local services.

Nearby, Nnenna Okonkwo, who runs Sunnyday International Foods, says her store has also been targeted. "It’s ridiculous that it’s just a couple of teenagers causing this mayhem," she says through tears, noting windows bashed and merchandise damaged in repeated episodes. The experiences of Muhammad and Nnenna illustrate how antisocial behaviour disrupts local commerce and erodes trust in public safety, even as references to a broader social problem remain central to political and policing responses.

During the BBC visit, the group’s dynamics were on display. A teenage girl in pink leggings and Crocs described herself as aware of wrongdoing but not ashamed to admit it. "I’ve threatened people and I’ve hit people, I’ll admit to that," she said, while acknowledging an inability to escape the cycle she described as adrenaline-fueled rebellion. "The second you get into one bit of trouble with the police, you fall into it too deep and you can’t get out." She spoke of drinking and vaping as part of the routine around the street. She denied that racism had influenced the acts, even as one friend suggested that in their view, they were simply expressing teenage frustration.

The group’s behaviour is not limited to one street. Across the country, communities report similar patterns, prompting a national conversation about how to address antisocial behaviour without disproportionately criminalising minors. Labour has promised new "respect orders" to ban persistently disruptive offenders from town centres, with the policy intended to be introduced through the Crime and Policing Bill. Yet the proposed orders would not apply to under-18s, a gap that some officials say requires legislative adjustment. An amendment aiming to bring the age down to 16 would still exclude younger children. The government separately says it will bolster neighbourhood policing and invest in community safety as part of broader crime-reduction efforts.

PC Tom Byrne, the local beat officer in Shirley, says officers recognize the concern and that antisocial behaviour is being addressed, but emphasizes the need for age-appropriate responses. "We do need to remember we are dealing with young people," he noted in July, adding that while there will be consequences, police action must be proportionate and lawful when dealing with children. The debate over how to balance enforcement with public safety and social support has become a central feature of experiences like those on Shirley High Street, where some shopfronts have been damaged and some businesses report a chilling effect on customers.

Beyond Shirley, similar strains are evident in nearby Portsmouth. Neil Gibson, who runs a car repair business, says the same group of young men has tormented his operations on multiple occasions. Security footage shows a hooded youth hammering a windscreen with a broom until it shatters. Gibson says he has stopped reporting every incident due to what he perceives as a lack of timely police response, describing a frustration that echoes across other local businesses that rely on public safety to operate.

In Fratton, a different scene unfolds as officers attempt to curb risky behaviour. PC Chris Middleton stops a young man on an electric scooter, only for the suspect to speed away while the officer remains on scene. The exchanges illustrate the practical difficulties police face when dealing with youths who may be intent on avoidance or who perceive limited consequences for their actions. Some officers say they sense the public’s frustration with perceived delays or constraints in how youths are handled within the justice system.

Local councils have also stepped in, deploying community wardens to help manage streets and steer behaviour. Jason, a warder for Portsmouth City Council, describes a shift in police workload as more activities fall under the umbrella of antisocial behaviour. Councils say expanding non-criminal interventions can help when police resources are stretched, but also warn that sustained action will require ongoing funding and coordinated strategies from multiple agencies. Matt Boughton, chair of the Local Government Association’s safer and stronger communities committee, says councils are increasingly filling gaps when police resources are strained, a draw on already stretched budgets.

Donna Jones, Hampshire’s police and crime commissioner, has argued for a more assertive approach to dealing with youths and their families. She says some young people are committing serious offences and that parents should be more accountable. Officials point to a suite of powers—civil injunctions, community protection notices, dispersal orders and criminal behaviour orders—but acknowledge that these tools have limitations, particularly when it comes to children. Using them at scale requires time, evidence and careful coordination between police and social services, particularly when the aim is to avoid criminalising vulnerable youths.

There have been arrests. A teenager has been charged with 22 offences, including assault, theft, arson, criminal damage and racially aggravated harassment, and appeared at Southampton Youth Court. The outcome of those legal proceedings is part of a broader pattern rather than a single solution—the kinds of disruptive incidents that have driven discussions about prevention, intervention and accountability.

After months of persistent antisocial behaviour, Shirley’s situation has shown signs of calming in recent weeks, but officials warn the underlying pressures remain. As the summer drew to a close and schools prepared to reopen, Jaiden, 15, recalled his past behaviour in Shirley after a spell in police custody. His mother, Kylie, described how a voluntary intervention process had begun to take hold, with an acceptable behaviour contract that requires him to refrain from theft, threats, foul language and approaching shops without permission. Jaiden told the BBC that he regrets his actions and vowed not to return to that life.

On Thursday, Policing Minister Sarah Jones said the government is taking steps to address concerns about patrol coverage and community safety. She pointed to the Safer Streets Summer Initiative and pledged 3,000 more neighbourhood police on the beat by March 2026, describing the move as part of a broader directive to ensure crime is punished and communities feel protected. The prime minister was also expected to announce measures aimed at giving communities more tools to deal with boarded shops and to regulate gambling and vape shops on High Streets, in line with a broader push to revive local economies and improve public order.

Hampshire Police also provided a response, saying it had endeavoured to respond to as many reports as possible but had to balance responses with a surge in emergency calls over the summer months. The department stressed that it continues to engage with communities, sharing information and coordinating with partners to address antisocial behaviour in Shirley and beyond.

As the school year begins and the town recalibrates after a difficult summer, residents and officials say there is cautious optimism that targeted interventions, community engagement, and a clearer framework for parental and youth accountability can begin to reverse the pattern of disruption. Jaiden’s experience—along with the testimonies of shopkeepers, wardens and police—illustrates the complexity of the problem: while stronger enforcement and visible patrols can deter some acts, meaningful change may require sustained investment in youth services, family support, and multi-agency collaboration. The coming months will test whether policy announcements translate into practical improvements on the ground, and whether communities can strike a balance between protecting public spaces and avoiding the criminalisation of young people who may be acting out under social and economic pressures.