Locals tormented by gangs of youths

A RESIDENT of a Southside housing estate has spoken out about the persistent intimidation and anti-social behaviour locals have been enduring at the hands of youths in recent months.

The resident, who lives in Glencar Lawn in Shankill, said youngsters have been burning locals’ property and trespassing, as well as urinating on their vehicles.

He claimed that children as young as nine and up to 17-years-of-age have been harassing residents by stealing their wheelie bins and then burning them on a pedestrian bridge in sight of their homes.

“Over the past number of years we have had gangs of youths gathering at two bridges at adjoining woodland in this area for drinking sessions,

? the resident, who did not want to be named, said.

“More recently there has been an upsurge in this activity.

“Recycling wheelie bins are regularly taken from people’s gardens after dark and burned out on the two bridges – as many as five in one night alone last week.

“Sometimes this happens three or four nights a week. These gatherings can number from 10 lads to dozens of teenagers at a time.

“This can be very intimidating for locals using the pathways to homes, bringing dogs for walks, or just passing through the area. Also the mess and rubbish left after these gatherings is something that has to be seen.

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The resident told how he recently found two teenagers urinating on his car. He added that his neighbours had informed him that their vehicles had been subjected to the same treatment.

He said he was frustrated that the gardai seemed to be limited in their ability to prevent the incidents from recurring.

“On New Year’s Day a gang of young fellas arrived,

? he continued.

“They stole some bins from the houses on Glencar Lawn and set them alight on a pedestrian bridge near St Colmcille’s School.

I called the guards who came out after about 20 minutes and they moved the lads on. Within another 20 minutes the lads were back out at the fire and myself and the neighbours rang the guards again and they came up a second time with a fire extinguisher.

“They put the fire out, but again it started back up as soon as they were gone.

“The guards came up a third time then and the lads disappeared. This is an awful lot more than teenagers drinking a few cans; it is a much bigger issue.

?

Cllr Denis O’Callaghan (Lab) has made representations to local gardai about a recent upsurge in incidents in Glencar Lawn.

He said he would raise the issue at a meeting of the Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Joint Policing Committee next month.

A spokesperson for the Garda press office said:

“We do not comment on remarks made by third parties. We advise anyone with information regarding anti-social behaviour to contact their local Garda station.

?