The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Fife dad’ s anger at rock throw youths
KIRKCALDY: Young daughter had near miss with boulder
A Fife dad has vented his anger at youths who threw a rock from a great height at a local beauty spot and just missed his daughter.
Gary Bissett, 41, has warned members of the public to be vigilant after a boulder launched from a cliff at Ravenscraig Castle in Kirkcaldy on Saturday evening landed just yards away from his seven-year-old girl Lilly.
The historic castle has been the target of vandalism and fire-raisers in recent months, and has been known to be used as a drinking den by youths.
But there are now growing calls for action to curb the anti-social behaviour following the weekend’s near miss.
Youths who hurled a rock from great height at a Fife beauty spot narrowly missed hitting a young girl.
Furious dad Gary Bissett, 41, has condemned the actions of a group of youths after a boulder was thrown from an area above the beach below Ravenscraig Castle in Kirkcaldy on Saturday and narrowly missed his youngest daughter Lilly, aged seven.
Gary, who said his daughter could have been killed, is urging locals and visitors to be vigilant in the area amid fears ongoing anti-social behaviour could have far more serious and even fatal consequences.
The historic castle had to be closed recently due to repeated instances of vandalism and fire-raising and locals say the public park and secluded areas high above the beach are regularly being used as drinking dens.
Gary had been enjoying a walk along the beach with his wife Sarah, 33, and daughters Chloe, nine, and Lilly at around 5.30pm when the rock – understood to be around six inches in diameter – landed in the sand just a matter of feet away from Lilly.
“There’s no doubt, it would have been an instant fatality if it hit,” Gary said.
Gary said his family had been walking along the shore when Lilly spotted some seals, so they stopped to watch them before heading back to the car park on the west side of the castle.
But when Gary heard shouting from the clifftop above he asked Lilly to move away from the cliff to be closer to him at the water’s edge and, as she started to walk, the rock landed fewer than six feet away from her.
He said he shouted up to the group “that could have killed her”.
Gary added: “Their reply was taunts of “what you gonna do about it down there?” and “come on then, go for it”.
He then ran to confront the youths, who scattered when they saw him approach.
“I walked along as far as the castle entrance but they weren’t to be seen, although, I wouldn’t have been able to point them out even if I had seen them to be honest,” Gary added.
“The height they were at when they threw the rock was significant, as you’ll well know if you’ve been in the area.”
Police have not been involved in this specific incident but local officers are concerned about antisocial behaviour in the Ravenscraig Park and Ravenscraig Castle area and have urged people to contact 101 to report incidents.
Gary added: “If this is something that happens frequently and not just an isolated event, then it perhaps is something that is worth looking out for.”