Facebook Army Trashes Luxury Home
12:30pm UK, Wednesday December 03, 2008
A Facebook 'army' has trashed a £1m luxury townhouse after gatecrashing a teenager's birthday party in Brighton.
The gang, calling itself the Facebook Republican Army (FRA), smashed lights and burnt carpets, as they rampaged through 16-year-old Georgina Hobday's home.
Four adult 'bouncers' could only look on as the group broke shed windows and knocked over plants.
Georgina's 'coming of age' party was inspired by the MTV reality series My Super Sweet 16, which follows wealthy teens preparing for extravagant celebrations.
But her decision to invite a hundred guests via an online invitation led to what her mother called "an absolute horror show".
"I will never have a party for my daughter here again", advertising executive Sylvia Hobday told the Brighton Argus.
Sylvia Hobday on her daughter's disastrous partyShe had no idea who most of the people were and they were rampaging through the house.
"The garden has been ruined, the grass is just mud. People were walking through the pond and I heard one boy was trying to headbutt the mirror.
"My front garden was full and some people were climbing up the balcony and trying to get through the windows."
She also complained of cigarette burns on doors, floors blackened by dirty shoes and lightbulbs taken out and stamped on.
Ms Hobday said: "When the police came they'd tried to hide under the decking so they could just carry on.
"When I left the house there was no alcohol in the house - but when I came back there were beer cans and vodka bottles everywhere."
Georgina would not comment on the disaster.
This is not the first time the FRA has destroyed a teenage celebration.
A 16th party at a London community centre was overrun by hooded invaders after only one bouncer was put in charge last month.
And in March, Sarah Roscoe's family mansion in Devon was wrecked after her 18th birthday party was advertised online.
A Facebook summer beach party in Torbay had to be cancelled after almost 4,000 people signed up to attend.
The group claims they do not 'intend' to cause trouble but they scour the internet for parties to target and even hire coaches to transport their gang.
A Sussex police spokeswoman told Sky News they are not pursuing the group, in spite of needing 28 officers to disperse the mob.
She said:"This was well-to-do kids and it was the sheer volume of people that caused the problems.
"There have been no arrests and no complaints. If you are planning an event and don't want uninvited guests, our advice would be do not send online invitations."
The next obvious question is, what happens when you invite VGC to your birthday party?
