Police will boost night patrols in Tarneit, in Melbourne's west, in response to increasing anger among residents who are alarmed at the noise and disruption caused by large numbers of youths using a local McDonalds as a meeting point.
Residents are angry and say they feel intimated by the sheer number of youths who have met up and brawled in the suburb in recent weeks.
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Police investigate brawl outside Tarneit McDonald's
The mother of a boy who works at Tarneit McDonald's says she doesn't want her son working there anymore after about 100 people crowded the site on Sunday night.
On Sunday night, there was a brawl at a McDonald's in Derrimut Road, in Tarneit, between a group of about 100 to 150 youths. Investigators were called to nearby Pistachia Drive about 9.40pm on Sunday where they were able to break up the group.Â
Police are now investigating the second incident in as many weeks at the same McDonalds outlet -  the first one involved 40 youths harassing staff and attacking customers.
Police have not yet received reports of any injuries from Sunday night's gathering but a broken window at the McDonalds may result in an arrest.
While Victoria Police North-West local commander Russell Barrett said it was natural for local residents to be alarmed by the large group and the disruption that often follows from so many children meeting in the one spot - he also said it was natural for young people to want to get together.
"To put it in perspective, all we have is young people gathering," he said.
He said there had been no reports of assaults and no altercations involving police.
However, Commander Barrett also said police would step up patrols in the suburb and would work with community members to try and find alternative spaces for people to gather.
"We understand the community may be concerned about gatherings of large numbers of youth in one area ... that can cause some unrest. We want to reassure the community, especially the community of Tarneit, that their safety is our number one priority," he said.
Video posted on a local residents' Facebook group shows one person pleading with the children to be more respectful.
Another resident said youths knocked on the door of their nearby property late on Sunday night before running off.
Other Tarneit residents also reported seeing a police helicopter in the area.
Leigh, the mother of a 15-year-old who works at McDonald's, told 3AW she felt intimidated as she picked her son up from work.
"It was just disgusting, food left everywhere, staff were cleaning up broken glass," she told the radio station. "It was very intimidating walking through this group of people to pick my son up."
She wants her son transferred to another McDonald's. "I'll be contacting the store ... to see if he can be transferred to another store," she said.
One resident who lives near the McDonalds store said a group of youths tried to kick his letterbox down on Sunday night before they saw his dog and ran away.
No arrests have been made.
Leigh, mother of teen who works at Tarneit McDonald's, tells us youths caused "mayhem" last night: "They were trying to intimidate staff."
— 3AW Breakfast (@RossAndJohn) December 18, 2016
Police have been called in to break up a group of up to 150 young people outside the McDonald's in #Tarneit. #Melbourne
— Maria Blampied (@Maria_Blampied) December 18, 2016