Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Police attacked as 200 kids ‘run amok’ in city play park
PSNI warning to parents of boozy teens
POLICE have issued a warning to parents to know where their children are after teenagers were arrested for boozing.
PSNI officers say up to 200 young people were “running amok” in the Falls Park and City Cemetery area of West Belfast at the weekend.
They added that, when officers arrived at the scene, a play park was being destroyed and they had missiles thrown at them.
It’s the latest in a serious of similar anti-social incidents in the area and police have pleaded: “Parents, we need you to do your bit.”
A PSNI spokesman wrote on Facebook: “QUOTE OF THE DAY: ‘If you see my________ in the park, will you tell her to come home’.
“This is a direct quote from a parent, having just dropped home another child they are responsible for, that child being heavily intoxicated.
“PARENTS, we asked this last night, ‘Do you know where your kids are?’ For about 200 sets of parents we must assume not, as surely you wouldn’t allow your kids to run amok!
“Tonight, the Black Mountain NPT team arrested two teenagers for public order and alcohol offences. Let’s set the scene – upon entering the park, a large crowd of kids scattered.
“The rubber floor of the play park was being ripped up and used as missiles to throw at us, but that wasn’t all – there were also several large stones and bottles thrown.
“This behaviour didn’t put just us at risk, but several times the missiles just missed other kids.
“Damaging a kids’ play park used by the whole community just isn’t on. This problem won’t be solved by police alone. PARENTS, WE NEED YOU TO DO YOUR BIT!”
Just last week it was claimed City Cemetery in Belfast was vandalised so often that some people don’t want to be buried there.
Fears about the state of the graveyard were expressed after an incident in which a fire was lit on top of a grave damaging the plot and a tree.
Stonework around graves was also damaged in the incident.
Steven Corr, a Sinn Fein councillor in the area, said: “It’s just hard to find the words about people who would do this to graves.
“This is someone’s final resting place and should be treated with respect and dignity, yet time after time we are seeing the same drinking and drug taking here.”