Three girls arrested after crowds of young people swarm London high street in social media 'flash mob'

Police have warned parents to "take responsibility" for their children as three teenage girls were arrested after crowds flooded a London high street as part of a social media "link-up".

Police said they had a "robust and visible" policing plan to prevent and deal with any future "unacceptable antisocial behaviour" like that seen in Clapham, south London, on Tuesday evening.

Police were called to the area following reports of anti-social behaviour involving large groups of young people, who gathered after a series of online posts about meeting in the area.

Footage showed people spilling into the road, blocking cars and buses, while others congregated on the pavement outside a McDonald's.

Pictures captured police vehicles reaching the scene as traffic came to a stop due to the number of pedestrians in the street.

In other clips, groups of people could be seen running down the road as officers in marked and unmarked cars arrived.

A similar incident in Clapham high street was also reported on Saturday, in which three other teenage girls, including two 16-year-olds and one 15-year-old, were arrested on suspicion of shoplifting and assault.

After the unrest on Saturday, 100 police officers were sent to Clapham on Tuesday, four of whom were assaulted, along with one member of the public.

In an update on Wednesday, the Metropolitan Police said three teenage girls, including a 17-year-old and two 13-year-olds, were arrested on Tuesday night on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker.

The 17-year-old has been charged and bailed to appear at court later this month, while the two 13-year-olds have been granted bail.

"Just because you have not yet been arrested does not mean you will not be," the Met added, as it claimed "more arrests will be made over the coming days" following the incidents on Saturday and Tuesday.

The force said it was adopting a "zero-tolerance approach", as its plan to tackle future disruption included increasing police officer numbers in the area and the use of dispersal orders.

The online "link-up" trend sees groups posting on social media, calling for as many people as possible to gather in a specific location.

It is not clear how many people were involved in Tuesday evening's unrest.

Police also imposed a "dispersal order", meaning anyone congregating in the area must leave or face arrest.

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Detective Chief Superintendent Emma Bond, who leads policing in the area, said: "I'd urge those young people who think this is just a bit of fun to carefully consider the consequences.

"Events like this, fuelled by online trends and viral content on platforms such as TikTok, can quickly escalate and lead to serious outcomes.

"If you join in or cause further disorder, you should expect to be arrested and risk a criminal record, which can have long-lasting consequences for your future, including employment opportunities and potentially your ability to travel."

(c) Sky News 2026: Three girls arrested after crowds of young people swarm London high street in social media 'flash