Melton’s Woodgrove Shopping Centre responds after “scary” machete fight amongst teens

Updated: A Melton shopping centre has reassured the community that security will be boosted after shoppers were caught in the middle of a knife fight between youth gangs on Tuesday.

There were reports the Woodgrove Shopping Centre on High St, Melton was placed on lockdown on Tuesday afternoon. Picture: Supplied

A busy shopping centre in Melbourne’s west has reassured the community that security will be boosted after shoppers were caught in the middle of a machete fight between two groups of teens this week.

Police descended on a Melton shopping centre on Tuesday afternoon after reports a youth allegedly tried to slash a teenage boy with a machete.

Woodgrove Centre Manager, Kylie Robertson said while it was inappropriate to comment on an ongoing investigation, shoppers could be assured police had beefed up their presence following Tuesday’s incident.

It followed reports Woodgrove Shopping Centre at High St, Melton was placed under lockdown on Tuesday.

“The safety and wellbeing of our entire Woodgrove community is always our overriding concern and something we take very seriously,” Ms Robertson said.

“Woodgrove is monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week by our dedicated security team, as well as an extensive CCTV network, and these measures are further bolstered by our close work with local Police.

“Additionally, police will continue to perform some extra reassurance patrols within the centre and surrounding car parks following the incident.”

TUESDAY:

A heavy police presence has surrounded Woodgrove Shopping Centre in Melton, where a fight is believed to have broken out on Tuesday afternoon.

A young woman who witnessed the attack told the Herald Sun she saw a young man take a swing at another boy with the weapon before chasing a group of boys through the complex with it.

Terrified patrons, including the woman, ran to hide in nearby stores as the violent knife fight unfolded in the middle of the shopping centre.

“One of them pulled out a machete and swung it at one of the other boy’s backs,” the woman said.

“I ran into a shop where I saw (another) one of the guys pull a machete from his waistband and chase the boys.”

A young worker at Woodgrove Shopping Centre was stunned when she heard a man walk past yelling “meet me outside” before she saw a machete estimated to be the size of the man’s forearm.

The young woman, who wished to remain anonymous, said she saw a man further down the shopping centre lying down on his back.

She said elderly customers were heard screaming in distress before shops began to lock their doors and invite stranded shoppers to take refuge inside.

“The whole centre was frantic, it was so scary, to have someone less than 2m away holding that knife, I think if I don’t try and laugh it will really affect me,” the shop worker said.

“A few people I have spoken to said it was 100% gang related,” she said.

She said the shopping centre was in lockdown for about 20 minutes to half an hour before shops began to reopen and police reassured visitors it was safe again.

Police have arrested three teenagers following an alleged affray in Melton West this afternoon.

Officers were called to reports of a physical altercation between two groups at a shopping centre on High Street about 2.45pm.

One of the groups fled the scene into a nearby supermarket, where they were allegedly followed by the other group and threatened with a knife.

A police spokeswoman said there were no injuries.

Three male teenagers fled the scene on foot an were arrested in the shopping centre car park.

A 16-year-old, a 15-year-old and a 14-year-old, all from Brookfield, are assisting police with their enquiries.

Officers allegedly seized a machete and a knife from the group.

It is believed the parties are known to each other.