Retailers are entitled to use ‘mosquito’ devices to disperse unwanted gangs of disruptive teenagers from hanging around their shops, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC).
The sonic gadget emits a high-pitched noise that only those aged under 25 can hear. The trade association said that violent crime against retail staff had gone up by 50% last year, and threats of violence had more than doubled. “Staff constantly feel threatened by teenage gangs and it should be within their right to use the device,” said a BRC spokesman.
