Groups of up to 20 kids have been organising mammoth games of hide and seek in Inverness' Eastgate Shopping Centre.

The youngsters from secondary schools across Inverness and Nairn have been congregating in the complex on Saturdays for the last few weeks.

The massive game has no limits, with youngster hiding in shops, lifts, changing rooms and even behind cash desks.

The group splits into two teams, one team hides, then five minutes later the other team begins the hunt.

Fourteen-year-old Mhairi Macintosh who has taken part in the last two games said: "We were just wandering about town, and bumped into a group of kids and we came up with this idea.

"It has been such a good laugh. We can go anywhere at all in the Eastgate Centre and the game can last for ages as the centre is so big."

The teenager added: "When you find someone from the other team, they join the hunters."

Mhairi explained that so far, their antics appear to have gone unnoticed by staff and security teams and that they plan to hold regular hide and seek games.

"It is now almost an event for us. People have started talking about it at school.

"We have not been told off yet. Really we are not doing anything wrong - we are not really making a nuisance of ourselves.

"Once the two teams are decided we then branch off into smaller groups or as individuals to either hide or find. The only rule as someone who is hiding is that you are not allowed to move around. The hunters keep in contact by mobile phone."

She added: "I don't think anyone has really noticed what we are doing. After all, we are just standing in one area for a long time. It might look a bit odd, but it's not illegal."

However, she did hear reports that someone was found hiding behind a cash desk: "That was maybe going a bit too far. I don't know who it was, but that was certainly what was said. I think the shop must have been very quiet for that to have happened."

Jacky Cuddy, Eastgate Centre manager said: "Eastgate is not aware of this, but maybe we should make it more formal and add it to our events programme!"

c.doughty@highland-news.co.uk

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