Time for our town to stand united as one
Strathaven urged to be strong after EK man’s death
Community councillors in Strathaven have called for the town to come together following the death of an East Kilbride man in the town.
Jason McCue, 43, died after being found seriously injured in John Hastie Park last Tuesday afternoon.
Police have stepped up patrols in Strathaven since his death.
Now Strathaven and Glassford Community Council have called for officers and locals to join forces and in a bid to alleviate concerns.
In a statement, they said: “We were saddened to hear of the events in John Hastie Park on Tuesday, July 11, and its thoughts are with everyone affected.
“Strathaven is a vibrant and supportive community and we hope everyone pulls together to ensure this remains true.
“Strathaven Park is rightly recognised within the community and further afield as an excellent facility for families and this has been reflected in the award of Green Flag status over the last five years and its place as the top park in Scotland and the only Scottish park to be featured in the top 20 UK-wide.
“There has been shock across the town following the incident which took place within the park and the incident has highlighted a need for a consolidated approach to potential issues affecting general wellbeing across the Strathaven and Glassford area.
“The community council is happy to be involved in any discussions on how this can be addressed and always welcomes the views of everyone in our community.”
The group praised the impact of community policing in the town, since the introduction of dedicated community officers in April.
“As a community council we have been very supportive of the recent introduction of dedicated community policing resources and have welcomed this development,” read the statement.
“The community council is also pleased to congratulate the emergency services for their prompt response last Tuesday and for the reassuring effect this has had upon our community; especially the emphasis put on this being an extremely unusual event within our town.”
James Cook, 50, of Strathaven has been charged with Mr McCue’s murder and appeared in private at Hamilton Sheriff Court last Thursday.
He made no plea or declaration and was remanded in custody with the case continued for further examination.
Meanwhile, a second man, Jamie Cook, 27, also of Strathaven, appeared in private last Friday charged with murder.
He is due to appear in the dock again on Friday after he made no plea or declaration and was remanded in custody.
And a third man, Robert Brown, 48, also of Strathaven, appeared in private yesterday (Tuesday) charged with murder.
He also made no plea or declaration and was remanded in custody.
There has been shock across the town following the incident