A GROUP of up to 20 youths has ransacked a Coles store in Cranbourne, allegedly assaulting and verbally abusing staff who tried to stop them.

Posting on the Casey Crime Page, Cranbourne West resident Alicia Fulcher said she went to the Springhill Coles store on September 9 when she saw the attack happen.

“I’ve just been at Springhill Coles and witnessed the b******** who ransacked Coles and abused a bunch of people,” she wrote.

“At least 20 youths, aged in their teens and late 20s have stolen armfuls of stock from these shops and then stood around laughing at their conquests.

“The poor staff at Coles copped verbal and physical abuse as they tried to stop these a******* from stealing.

“I’m so sick and tired of these p***** who believe that they can do anything they like.

“I was brought up in a beautiful community that felt safe and now I can’t even take my children to do grocery shopping with me.”

Speaking on 3AW this morning Ms Fulcher said some of the group looked as young as 11 to 12 years old and were all of African appearance.

Another woman, named Debbie, told 3AW she also saw the Coles incident saying the group showed “no fear of being caught”.

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She said she called police but they were “too late” to catch them.

“I was petrified, they had no fear, they knew the police were coming,” she said.

Eddie Duncan wrote on the Casey Crime page that he believed he saw the same group at local primary school the same day, fooling around on the roof.

“The school seems to be a hangout … there was really about 40 kids at school only half went to supermarket,” he said.

In August a group of youths robbed a Kathmandu store in Narre Warren in the middle of the day.

Six youths walked into the Fountain Gate store at 4.30pm on August 13, helped themselves to jackets and then ran out without paying.

Comment has been sought from Victoria Police and Coles.