Three teenage girls have been charged over an assault on a shopkeeper in Alice Springs overnight.

Police allege the girls assaulted the 35-year-old man when he arrived at his shop in the Coles Complex in response to a silent alarm.

The man told police he found several juveniles near the shop -Tasty Treats - and three of the group began verbally abusing and punching him. Police arrived and three girls aged 13, 14 and 15 were arrested.

All three have been charged with aggravated assault, possessing an offensive weapon at night and using objectionable language. The 13 and 14-year-old were also charged with furnishing false names to police.

They will appear in the Youth Justice Court on March 4.

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