'Wild west' comes to Melbourne as residents flee gangs

Residents in Melbourne's west are fearing for their safety after a spate of break-ins from roaming gangs.

They are just one of a number of communities around Australia where violence and crime have turned the streets into no-go zones.

People are fleeing the suburbs as homes and businesses come under frequent attack.

"It’s crazy, I’m in my 60s, and Werribee use to be a happy place, and now you can’t walk around after 7 o’clock at night," one resident told A Current Affair. 

"You just try and lock your place up, have some dogs, have a bat by your door. Sounds crazy doesn’t it, but you have to do it."

The Riverdene Village Shop is just one high-profile recent target of the thugs who have made the area a playground.

On June 17, armed thugs entered the family-run milk bar, which adjoins the owners' home.

One of the four threatened owner Mary Lakkis with a fishing knife, while the others stole cash and cigarettes.

Mrs Lakkis's husband Mario said it was the first time in 18 years they had been troubled by crime in the shop.

However, other residents and business owners in the area say they are also in danger.

It is just one of Australia's "no go zones", plagued by crime and gangs.

See the full story on A Current Affair, Monday, at 7pm.