8-YEAR-OLD KIDS DRINKING ON CITY STREETS
CHILDREN living in one of Glasgow’s most deprived areas are drinking as young as eight, community leaders have warned.
Richard McShane called on licensing chiefs to reject plans for a new alcohol outlet at the Easterhouse Township Centre as he revealed the toll booze is taking on the area’s children.
KIDS in Easterhouse are boozing from the age of eight, according to a community leader.
Richard McShane made the revelation as he called on Glasgow’s licensing chiefs to reject plans for a new alcohol outlet at the Easterhouse Township Centre – formerly known as the Shandwick Centre.
The Easterhouse North Community Council chairman joined NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde in calling for an end to new off-sales stores in the area.
Businessman Sajjad Soofi had planned on selling a selection of alcoholic drinks from his store. But Mr McShane warned the Licensing Board that allowing Mr Soofi to do so would lead to gangs of kids hanging around the shopping centre wreaking havoc.
He said: “Alcohol is the biggest seller in Easterhouse just now, especially with the young people.
“We’ve had major problems because kids hang about outside the shopping centre. Pensioners are intimidated.
“The last thing we need is another off-sales. We’ve got about 150 young people in the community who are drinking every weekend. We have kids at the age of eight drinking.
“We need education and rehabilitation.”
Elena Smith, from Glasgow’s Health and Social Care Partnership, led by the NHS and Glasgow City Council, said that alcohol-related harm in the area was “high”.
And she raised concerns that if another shop is allowed to sell alcohol in the area it could cause damage to the lives of young people.
The comments came after Police Scotland revealed there had been hundreds of crimes recorded in and around the shopping centre since August 2017.
Those included 63 shoplifting incidents, 60 drug possession finds, three knife crimes and 37 assaults.
Despite that, Brian McMahon, the agent representing Mr Soofi, claimed the crime rate was “relatively reasonable”.
He added: “We’re there to serve the community, not to harm it. We’re not looking to add to the problems.”
Licensing Board member Josephine Docherty admitted she was concerned about how a new alcohol seller would affect the area.
She said: “I know the ages of people drinking there and I find it worse than scary.”
The Licensing Board rejected Mr Soofi’s application on the basis that there is an overprovision of alcohol sellers in the area and for the protection of public health.