Do you know where your children were on Monday? Boys threaten Ilford shop worker with ‘knives and knuckledusters’

A group of teenagers who are believed to live in the Ilford area are terrorising a Green Lane shop and threatening staff with “knuckledusters and knives.”

A shop worker, who wants to remain anonymous for fear of being singled out, said for the last 10 days the teens have been stealing goods out of the store and telling employees they will “kill them if they report anything”.

“We are scared for our lives, I don’t know why they are doing this, or when it is going to stop,” she said.

“We have reported it to the police but they don’t seem to care.

The boys threatened to kill him. (Image: Archant)

“They said they didn’t have the resources to keep coming here and they promised to install a panic button but they didn’t come back to install it.

“Why won’t anyone help us, I don’t know what to do.”

She said the teens, who sometimes have an adult man with them, come into the shop on average three times a day and speak with a British accent.

They steal about £30 worth of goods each time, which has added up to hundreds of pounds.

“They throw stuff and are really aggressive,” she added.

“They have used the shop ‘normally’ for about four years, and have only started stealing and throwing stuff recently.”

A business owner a few doors down said she feels sorry for shop staff and said they seem to have had a run of misfortune.

“They don’t feel safe, I really feel for them,” she said.

“They have banned the boys from the shop but they just keep coming back.”

A Met Police spokesman confirmed that officers visited the shop after reports of criminal damage and threats made to staff.

“There were no reports of any serious injury,” he said.

“There have been no arrest and inquiries into the circumstance remain ongoing.”

Anyone with information should call 101.