Drunken youths cause trouble in two local towns

Drunken youths cause trouble in two local towns

18 May 2016

OVER 100 youths were involved in two disorderly behaviour incidents in Downpatrick and Killough at the weekend.

Police were called to the St Patrick’s Drive area of Downpatrick on Friday evening after a group of between 40 and 60 youths, who had gathered in the area around 7pm, became unruly.

Several residents moved their cars away from the drunken  gang, some of whom they said appeared as young as 12, after they began to fight in the street and throw bottles.

A police vehicle was damaged the following evening in Killough when 30-50 youths, who had again gathered to drink alcohol, began to fight and throw stones.

One youth was taken home by police, who have confirmed that a quantity of alcohol was seized.

Both incidents have sparked outrage in the community with the PSNI’s local Facebook coverage of the Killough incident attracting almost 200 responses.

While many expressed concern about the behaviour of the teenagers involved, some were also angry local youths were being blamed.

“The young people were not even from the village, sick to death of outsiders giving my village a bad name,” wrote one.

“Most of the teenagers in Killough are good kids and well behaved,” wrote another. “Obviously some are misbehaving but you can’t tar them all with the same brush.”

Mary Cullen, who witnessed the disruption in Downpatrick on Saturday evening, said youths regularly congregate in the area to drink.

She said she saw police monitoring the situation, but was disappointed residents had to move their vehicles out of the area to avoid damage.

She said her nine year-old child was terrified by the fighting outside, which she said involved both young girls and boys.

“At one stage they started throwing bottles, it was terrifying,” she said.”It went on for a couple of hours and seemed to end very suddenly. We see this regularly in this street.

“I would wonder where they are getting the drink and also where their parents are? From a parent’s perspective it is disgraceful as some of these children appeared every young. There was one young boy I would guess was about 12 who seemed drunk and was crying for his mummy.

“It is intimidating as you do not know if they are taking drink or drugs and there are elderly people living here who must find is particularly scary.”