Gwent shopping centre in Tredegar plastered in flour

Caretaker and previous manager of Gwent Shopping Centre in Tredegar Christopher Sanders arrived at the site at 6pm on Tuesday, June 15, planning to paint planters and benches and generally clean the area.

But he found flour and plastic had been strewn outside Farmfoods and Poundland - and was at the centre cleaning for more than four hours.

"I have CCTV of four young girls around 13-15 years-old who either brought or stole two bags of flour from Home Bargains," he said. "They throw it on the floor in the footage."

Mr Sanders shared the photos of the flour on his Facebook page later the same evening, with his wife Beryl captioning the post: "This is what your kids got up to in the shopping centre Tredegar before 7.30pm today it’s a pity their parents don’t teach them to have some respect. As you can see by the photos it’s flour on the floor. They’ve either took the flour from their house or pinched it I’ve told my husband pack the job in."

Mr Sanders said by the end of the year he will probably retire as he is getting "fed up" of anti-social crime and littering around the centre.

"I want to say to the parents that if they know their children have been involved in the incident to get them to stop this behaviour," he said. "I am 75, I don't need this. This has happened plenty of times and nothing is being done to stop it."

Mr Sanders' son Lee told the Argus his dad has worked there many years and has committed countless hours to making the centre the best he can.

"The crime rate there is ridiculous," he said. "There needs to be more action against the youths or place the centre out of bounds and have police arrest them if found there.

"These youths do not seem to care, they have a thug mentality which society lets them get away with. Only a few years ago (Mr Sanders) was attacked in the centre by a group of youths as he approached them while causing a nuisance there. There is no deterrent for these youths, a lot more action is needed by the police and then backed by the courts."

Alun Davies, MS for Blaenau Gwent said: "I know how hard the police are working to combat this across the borough.

"I have spoken to the police many times since the election last month and again earlier this week about how we work together to stamp out anti-social behaviour. But the end of the day we need a culture-change.

"We need people to value and appreciate where we live and take care of our communities. We also need a renewed investment in services for young people and to provide alternatives for young people so that everyone feels valued and feels that there are places for them to go - especially over these long summer evenings. "

A Gwent Police spokesman said: “At approximately 8.05pm on June 15 we received a report of young people throwing flour on the floor at Gwent shopping centre in Tredegar.

“Anyone with concerns relating to anti-social behaviour in their community is asked to call 101.”

Information can also be reported anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via crimestoppers-uk.org