Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Residents’ terror as teen vandals turn area into ‘war zone’
T E E N va nda ls have turned Ardler into a “war zone” and are making life hell for locals.
Residents have spoken out about youths, some as young as 14, breaking into houses, trashing cars and brandishing knives.
The most recent incidents took place on Sunday night when it is understood a young man was mugged and his money stolen at knifepoint beside the ATM at the Macalpine Road shops.
There were also reports of an alleged incident where a knife was pulled on a terrified 13-year-old.
Another resident had her house robbed last weekend with thousands of pounds worth of goods stolen.
Several people living in the area told the Tele that a gang of around four or five youths, aged between 14 and early-20s, are running out of control and terrorising the area between Ardler and Kirkton. Louise Kerr, of Lauderdale Avenue, had the soft top of her Mercedes slashed on Sunday night.
She said: “My husband heard a loud bang and rushed to the window.
“He saw lads in the drive but when he shouted to them they ran off. The soft top of my new Mercedes has been slashed with a knife.
“It’s going to cost a couple of thousand pounds to repair it.
“It seems this is just one of a series of incidents that have happened in the area recently.
“Other people told me that their cars have also been scratched and damaged and my friend’s son was mugged and had money taken while he was using the ATM at the Spar shop in Macalpine Road.”
Another woman, who asked to remain anonymous, said her house was broken i nto l ast weekend as the youths continued to bring terror to those living nearby.
She said: “My house was broken into last Sunday by a group of four young boys.
“I know that the youngest involved in this was 14.”
The woman said that the four kicked in her front door at 4.30am, with nobody in the house at the time.
She added: “They smashed my television, which they couldn’t get off the wall brackets holding it up, and they stole around £5,000-£6,000 worth of clothes from my house.
“They also stole a knife from my knife rack.
“It’s awful. They are running out of control and nothing is getting done about it.
“I reported the break-in at my house and the police came up but I have been told they still haven’t got anybody for it.
“It’s like a war zone between Ardler and Kirkton just now.
“They think they can do what they like and nobody can touch them. Something needs done to stop them.
“It reached a head when I was told that a 13-year-old l ad was approached by one of the gang brandishing a knife at the weekend.
“Everyone living here knows who they are.
“They are touring the area in a black car but the police don’t seem to be able to catch them.”
Labour councillor for the area, Kevin Keenan, said: “These i ncidents are deeply disturbing.
“I will be ensuring the police investigate all the complaints. “People shouldn’t have to live in fear of these type of incidents.”
Police Scotland has confirmed officers are investigating reports of a car being vandalised in Lauderdale Avenue.