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

Two teenage girls have been arrested for assault after crowds flooded a London high street as part of a social media 'link-up'.

Police were called to Clapham, south London, 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 numbers 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.

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.

Scotland Yard confirmed two teenage girls were arrested on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker.

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

Similar incidents in Clapham High Street were also reported at the weekend in which there were three other teenage girls arrested.

The Metropolitan Police said officers would "remain in the area" to offer support to any worried members of the public.

A spokesperson for the force said: "Police are responding to an ongoing incident on Clapham High Street following reports of a large crowd of young people causing anti-social behaviour.

"Officers are on the scene, and a dispersal order has been put in place, meaning anyone congregating must leave the area.

"At this time two teenage girls have been arrested on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker.

"They have been taken to custody.

"Officers will remain in the area to offer support and respond to any concerns from local residents and businesses."

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Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, described the disruption as "appalling".

He wrote on X: "The appalling scenes in Clapham in recent days are absolutely unacceptable and those responsible will face the full force of the law. Two arrests have been made and the Met is continuing to investigate.

"There will be an increased police presence in the area in the coming days, with officers providing support and reassurance to residents and businesses."

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