Casuarina Square shopping centre has imposed a 48-hour ban on students from six Darwin senior and middle schools after fighting erupted inside the mall between Wednesday and Friday last week.

Centre management enforced the ban after a third day of violence and disorderly behaviour by up to a hundred students interrupted business and left some shoppers shaken by the events. Police were called during the incidents.

Students banned include those from Casuarina Senior College, Sanderson Middle School, Dripstone Middle School, Darwin Middle School, Darwin High School and Nightcliff Middle School.

“We will have guards on entries and students from these schools will be refused entry to Casuarina Square,” Casuarina Square centre manager Polly Lamond said.

“School students entering the shopping centre with a parent or guardian will not be refused entry, however, the student must remain with their parent or guardian for the entirety of their visit.

“Students coming to Casuarina Square after school to wait for their parent or guardian will be refused entry and will need to make alternative arrangements to meet their parent or guardian elsewhere.”

The mall’s management had advised the NT Department of Education, NT Police and the schools of the ban last week.

“To clarify, any school student not in the immediate company of a parent or guardian will be refused entry or moved on,” she said.

“We are committed to ensuring a safe environment for all visitors to Casuarina Square and unfortunately the actions of a few will impact everyone.”

Chief Minister Natasha Fyles approved of the shopping centre’s actions and said the ban was a matter of public safety.

“Everyone has a right to feel safe,” Ms Fyles said.

The 48-hour bans come as the NT Government recently designated the area a “high-risk area” that allows police to ban people from attending the shopping centre for 14 days for as minor offences as swearing or singing a dirty song, but also for being violent when drunk, involved in a crime, “displaying anti-social behaviour” or refusing to leave a licensed premises.

Ms Fyles said last month when declaring the area around, and including Casuarina Square Shopping Centre, a high risk area she was “acting on the advice of the northern suburbs social order response team, which includes NT Police”.