Gary Smagh, owner of the Ghazal restaurant in Glen Eden, spoke to Fairfax NZ about his restaurant being shot at, and staff members assaulted.

A West Auckland town centre is being plagued by a gang of youths mugging people, vandalising and even shooting the windows of a restaurant with an air gun.

Some residents of Glen Eden say they are staying away from their local shopping area because of the youths and a community meeting is to be called to discuss it.

Khushi Joshi, a chef from Ghazal Indian Cuisine in Glen Eden, was attacked by a gang of youths on Monday night.

Owner Gary Smagh said Joshi left work at 10.45pm to walk home. A couple of minutes later Smagh's wife saw him fall to the ground as the youths surrounded him and screamed for help.

Smagh and his wife ran out and took Joshi back inside then called the police. Smagh said the whole incident happened in less than a minute.

Joshi told Smagh he was approached by one boy armed with a screwdriver who pushed him to the ground and then told him to "hand over what you've got, or I'm going to f... you up".

Chris McKeen/Fairfax NZ A Glen Eden restauranteur stands beside a hole shot into one of his premise's windows by an air gun.

Another six or seven boys came and snatched a plastic bag with wine he was carrying and after an unsuccessful wrestle with Joshi for his cellphone, ran off.

"My guess was that they had been watching him, and knew what time he leaves work, and that he walked home alone," Smagh said.

Police officers flooded the area but could not find the culprits.

The incident came only weeks after the restaurant was vandalised by a group of boys who gouged large scratches in several windows when Smagh denied them free food.

Smagh has also found two holes shot into a window by a BB gun. The quote for fixing each of the vandalised windows was $1,000, not including GST.

A police spokesperson said patrols have been increased in the area following a spate of thefts from parked cars but police are not aware of any recent significant increase in overall youth.

But Glen Eden local Shard Hunter said there were issues with a group of youths and it put him off from coming into the town centre as much as he used to.

"They always want to start fights, tag, and get in trouble", the 18-year-old said.

The troubles in Glen Eden come a year since the killing of shop keeper Arun Kumar when other Henderson retailers said they were suffering repeat vandalism of their store fronts, being confronted by shoplifters and intimidated by youth gangs as they opened their stores in the morning.

And in October shopkeepers in the south Auckland suburb of Clendon said they were being tormented by children as young as seven causing problems.

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The Waitakere Ranges Local Board is arranging a meeting with the Glen Eden community's key stakeholders to discuss ways forward to help people feel secure.

Local board member Steve Tollestrup said there are a number of solutions.

"At the end of the day, it will come down to not just the policing, but the community working together."

The Auckland City Council Quality of Life Survey in 2014 found more than half of the suburb's residents feel unsafe at night.

Tollestrup said he was wary of labelling the latest incidents as part of an economic problem or a clash of cultures.

"It's really just criminal behaviour of young teens, and it's totally unacceptable."

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