Despairing residents of a sleepy village in Kent say they are being terrorised by ‘feral’ children who have threatened to attack shop owners with acid and plastic knives.

Staff at a newsagents in Hoo, Medway, claim they receive daily verbal abuse from the yobs. They said display stands have been thrown at them as the children’s initial threats of violence grow more real.

The family-run business, which has been operating for nearly 20 years, says it has seen a surge in anti-social behaviour in recent months, as have other businesses in the village.

In a social media post about one particular incident, the shop even said one woman who had been minding her own business had liquid thrown over her in the streets by the unruly group.

Now the owner of the store, who wishes to remain anonymous, has spoken out on the problem plaguing the streets of Hoo – and says police are doing nothing about it.

They say one youth threatened someone with a plastic knife, sparking fears that a real blade could soon be used if the groups are not quickly deterred.

‘We’ve always had some kind of trouble, but I think it’s worse now because people can’t reprimand kids,’ the owner said.

‘There’s no discipline in schools and it just overspills on to the streets. They think they can do what they want, but they can’t carry on doing this.

‘If you tell them it’s only two at a time in the shop, they don’t like that, and they try and push their way in.

‘If we say we’re going to ring the police, they will turn around and shout, “the police aren’t going to come out anyway” – they have their answers for everything.’

Last year, CCTV footage from the store captured a disgruntled customer who was allegedly refused service after previously throwing bags of sweets and display stands at the owner before fleeing.

The owners also claim he threatened to return with acid and was later charged by police.

‘Another time, someone was caught stealing multiple times from this shop,’ the owners added.

‘One day he tried to come in, and we saw him before he came to the door so we pushed him out. He rang the police and said we assaulted him, and officers actually came out.’

Earlier this month, cameras caught a group of children heckling workers and throwing water at them from outside the shop during half term.

The retail boss added: ‘The police knew one particular kid who was at the front of the video.

‘Apparently, he threatened someone with a plastic knife a little while ago. It is a trigger for me because today it’s a plastic knife, but tomorrow it could be a real one.’

Despite reporting all the incidents to police, the village shop’s owners say officers are rarely deployed and they believe it is because there is little chance of the force securing a prosecution.

‘Even though it has a massive impact on our lives and businesses, there are no repercussions for these children,’ she added.

‘They [officers] did say, if these kids are from social housing, they can be threatened with eviction and that has motivated me more to report things, but there are people in normal housing.’

Independent Councillor Ron Sands, 72, told MailOnline that the lack of policing in the area meant the yobs would continue to ‘push the boundaries’.

He said: ‘The majority of the children in the village are really good kids and quite polite. They just get on with being children.

‘I’m not 100 per cent sure if this group are actually from our village or a neighbouring one, but they have come in and are trying to make some statement. They think they are untouchable at this moment in time.’

Mr Sands, who has lived in Hoo his entire life, says he has pushed for police to increase their presence in the area, otherwise he fears people ‘may take it into their own hands’.

Resident Angie Butcher said the behaviour was ‘unacceptable’.

Posting to Facebook, she added: This used to be a lovely village with people and their children respecting it.’ 

Meanwhile local Francis Bray said ‘something must be done’ to control the ‘feral’ kids.

A spokesperson for Kent Police said it had received reports of anti-social behaviour involving young people at the business and that an investigation is underway.

Following the most recent incident on April 12, the force says officers attended and enquiries were completed, including speaking to witnesses.

They also reviewed CCTV after a group of children entered the store and allegedly threw liquid from a plastic bottle.

The spokesperson added: ‘Officers are liaising with the owner of the premises and work is ongoing, including with schools, to help identify those responsible so that they and their families can be spoken to and a proportionate resolution reached.’

Sadly, these incidents have become the norm for many nearby retail workers.

In Sittingbourne, a number of dispersal orders have been put in place recently following ‘disorder, abuse and threatening behaviour towards shop staff and members of the public’ in the high street.

Meanwhile, in Ashford, a war veteran said anti-social behaviour and thieves were ‘killing his business’.

‘It’s shocking to hear, but it’s very normal for us,’ the owner of the store in Hoo added.

‘It is traumatic. I think the only course of action really is to give retailers more power to be able to physically hold these children and push them out.

‘People who usually come into a shop, make a transaction and leave – there’s nothing for you not to like.

‘If we ask you for ID or if we ask for two kids at a time, there’s a reason for it. You have to respect it just like I would if I went into another shop.

‘All we want to do is come to work, do our job and go home – we don’t want anything else.’

Inspector Paul Diddams of Kent Police’s Medway Community Safety Unit said the force were exploring the possibility of prosecution.

He said: ‘We fully understand the impact antisocial behaviour can have on residents and local businesses. 

‘My officers will always pursue the most robust options available to them, including prosecution where appropriate.

‘I would urge anyone experiencing issues to report them as soon as possible to ensure an effective police response, so that we can track down culprits to face the consequences of their actions.’