The move follows last year's hoodie ban in its Code of Conduct, which banished people wearing hooded tops from the centre.
Bluewater head of marketing Linsey Wooldridge said that the decision to introduce youth workers came after consulting local teachers. She said the shopping centre had realised that what can be seen as intimidating or threatening behaviour from youngsters can often be a simple case of high jinks.
Youth workers will begin work at the centre within the next few weeks. 'Having youth workers working with the kids and our security guards will help them [security guards] understand what is bad behaviour and what is just kids being kids,' she said.
Wooldridge argued that its hooded top ruling had been misinterpreted by the mass media and was not merely aimed at youths.
She said that the ban, which also forbid the wearing of baseball caps in the centre, applied to everyone and was to ensure that people could not disguise their identities.
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