Bluewater has agreed to change the way they support victims of crime with immediate effect after a petition from the dad of a son robbed at the shopping centre received 15,000 signatures in just a few days.

Two teenagers were arrested after phones and cash were stolen from a group of youngsters, allegedly at 'knifepoint', at the Dartford shopping centre on December 30.

Following the incident, a 'concerned dad' demanded that Bluewater improve its security and duty of care to victims, and local MP Gareth Johnson also got involved.

The company has now released a statement saying they take all instances of theft very seriously, but confirmed it was changing how it supports victims of crime.

The code of conduct, displayed in the Welcome Halls, have been updated, help points will be made more visible at all concierge desks,and Bluewater will launch a digital awareness campaign for guests about Bluewater's security measures.

The statement read: "Although these instances are rare, we understand that they are very upsetting and would like to apologise for the lack of support offered to guests on Monday, 30th December."

The petition claimed that the children robbed at the shopping centre were "left abandoned" with no attempt to provide them with a place of safety or any reassurance.

Over 15,000 people signed the petition, and the person behind it revealed that on January 3 Bluewater's general manager and head of security had a meeting with the parents about the incidient.

The 'concerned dad' said Bluewater had been "accommodating and helpful" in making immediate changes, but that the campaign will continue until they feel there has been resolution.

The leader of the petition also thanked everyone who signed the petition, and said: "It is our hope that as a consequence of the minority that the majority will continue to enjoy Bluewater and its facilities with a broader strategy in place to help combat crime and anti-social behaviour."

A meeting has also been organised with Dartford's MP Gareth Johnson to discuss the incident.

Mr Johnson previously said he was "deeply saddened" by the incident but that he knows Bluewater "ensures security is their highest priority and therefore these sorts of incidents are thankfully very rare."

Bluewater added: "We will continue to work closely with Kent Police, who are based on site at Bluewater. We would like to reassure guests that there has been no reduction in the presence of security staff on site."