Anger over use of mosquito devices at railway stations

THE Scottish Government has slated what it called “indiscriminate” mosquito devices installed at some railway stations to disperse young people.

Community Safety and Legal Affairs Minister Annabelle Ewing said the gizmos, which emit a irritating screech only people under 25 can hear, were “inconsistent with our approach to tackling anti-social behaviour”.

She said: “These devices are indiscriminate, causing discomfort to everyone under a certain age, and we will investigate the evidence on their impact and potential to cause harm.”

Ms Ewing was speaking after a survey of young people found more than two-thirds of young people to experience mosquitos were left with headaches or migraines. However, three-quarters of those polled said the devices would not stop them going where they wanted to go.

Amy Lee Fraioli, chairwoman of the Scottish Youth Parliament, said: “If progress is to be made in tackling instances of anti-social behaviour, the root of the problem must be addressed instead of resorting to draconian measures that alienate young people from their communities.”

Louise Macdonald, chief executive of Young Scot, the national youth information and citizenship charity which commissioned the survey, said: “It’s worrying to hear so many young people have real concerns about the impact anti-loitering devices can have on health and wellbeing.”