Staff at Mornington Peninsula McDonalds protect boy, 12, during terrifying attack

A Mornington Peninsula mum has taken drastic action after her 12-year-old son was repeatedly attacked by armed teens at the local McDonalds.

Locals say kids as young as 10 are taking weapons to Somerville McDonalds and picking fights. Picture: supplied

A series of terrifying attacks involving armed teens has forced a Mornington Peninsula family to flee the area.

And police have confirmed they are aware of teens carrying weapons such as box cutters and pocket knives in the Somerville area.

Michelle Carlile recently pulled her 13-year-old son from Somerville Secondary College and left the region after he was set upon twice at the local McDonalds.

Ms Carlile said the first incident, which occurred on August 9, left her son’s 14-year-old school friend in hospital after she stepped in to defend him and was brutally bashed.

Her son, who was 12 at the time of the first attack, said the violent clash only ended when staff pulled him and the girl to safety behind the counter.

“This group of three kids came up and tried to pick a fight with me. One was only little, he looked about 10,’’ he said.

When I said no they got really aggressive and that’s when another girl from my school came to help.

“The oldest one in the group, a girl who I think is 17, knocked my friend onto the ground and kept going.

“Her head was banging against the ground.”

Ms Carlile, who is a nurse at Frankston Hospital, said the 14-year-old was concussed and left with bone bruising.

“It was savage,” she said.

Her son, who asked not to be named, said he was again forced to seek help from staff when he was attacked a second time at McDonalds about three weeks ago.

“The same group of kids came up to me and one pulled up his top to show me a knife and a hammer,” he said.

“They told me to go to the bathroom because they wanted to fight. I asked the staff for help and they let me behind the counter again.”

A Somerville McDonalds manager said the recent attacks were “overwhelming” for young staff on duty at the time.

“They did their best to help,” she said.

She said trouble usually started when local high school students gathered at the Eramosa Road West restaurant to “hang out”.

“They have mates working and they thing they can get away with stuff.

“Things just escalate from there.”

The manager said some teens had been banned from the business after repeatedly picking fights.

“As soon as someone starts causing trouble now they get told to leave. If they don’t leave the police are called,” she said.

“The problem is that they’re just kids, they don’t take it seriously when they’re banned and they come back.”

Police attended both incidents involving Ms Carlile’s son and she said a personal safety intervention order had since been imposed on a 17-year-old girl.

However, she wasn’t convinced the attacks would stop and had decided to leave Somerville.

“The cops have been great and I know how hard they work to stop these things happening, but these kids know they can keep getting away with it. There are no real consequences.

“I could tell my son not to go to Maccas but then he’s being punished when he’s done nothing wrong.”

Hastings Senior Constable Wayne Wood wasn’t able to comment on specific incidents but said there had been issues at the McDonalds and the Somerville skate park.

“It’s not uncommon for kids to be carrying weapons,” he said.

“Box cutters and pocket knives are what we usually see.”

He said the problem was no worse in Somerville than other Mornington Peninsula towns.

“Unfortunately these kids don’t understand where it can lead,” he said.

Other parents took to social media this week to share similar stories of violence at the skate park.

One mum said he 12-year-old son was threatened with a machete and robbed on Monday afternoon.

Another said she no longer allowed her children to go to the park or walk through town on their own.

Others called for security cameras to be installed at the skate park.

Newly elected Hastings MP Paul Mercurio said he would ask Mornington Peninsula council to apply for funding to install CCTV at the park.

“I will also look into what I can do to support CCTV installation once I am declared and sworn in,” he said.