Police break up underage rave at Tralee
AN underage ‘out- of- control’ drinking session at Tralee beach on Saturday night saw more than 60 teenagers descend on the Benderloch area.
Residents of Tralee Road, Benderloch, claimed the impromptu rave had descended into chaos with children as young as 12 drinking alcohol and smoking drugs.
A squad of police officers were called to the area on Saturday evening to break up the session. Eyewitnesses said a small number of teenagers were taken home by the police.
Parents of some of the other children were called to collect their youngsters from the beach.
Police said they were unable to comment on specific incidents due to ‘ ongoing investigations’, but did ask for help in establishing who was to blame for damage to three business signs in the area, that may have been connected to the party.
Children had been alerted to the party through social media site, YikYak.
The party was held at Tralee in spite of plans to change it at the last minute to Oban’s Ganavan beach. The YikYak site is banned from some schools because of the anonymous gossip updates that can be posted by users.
And the site has featured in recent media reports about bullying in both Scotland and England.
It is also believed one person offered to take the would-be revellers by car to Benderloch for £ 5, while others made their way to the drink-fuelled gathering by bus.
One young person described what happened on Saturday night: ‘Police came. Everyone ran. Everyone hid. Everyone met up again. Sixty people turned up at 11pm.’
One resident, who did not want to be named, said: ‘These kids are nothing but disrespectful.
‘They trashed the place. I can tell you now there will be no round two out at the beach.
‘This has become an annual event and something needs to be done to make sure it doesn’t happen again.’
Brian Wilson, an former police officer who was on a caravan holiday in the area, said: ‘It wasn’t nice to witness these youngsters drinking, smoking and carrying on at the beach. It was an outof- control mess until the police arrived.’
Mr Wilson continued: ‘I have grandchildren who looked the same age as some of those children on the beach.
‘I would have hated to think my grandchildren were getting out of their depth like they were.
‘Teenagers think they are so grown-up at 13 and 14 and they all think they know what they want.
‘But I am sure some of them will be regretting some of the things they did on Saturday night.’
‘I just hope that no one gets into any serious trouble over their behaviour on the beach. These children are vulnerable and well done to the police for coming out almost immediately and breaking up the party and dispersing the youngsters.’
Police constable Lewis MacIntyre is leading the investigation into the damage of the advertisement boards for local businesses that were destroyed on Saturday night.
He said: ‘ While the incident cannot be connected to the beach party - someone in the vicinity may have seen something that will identify the culprits to this crime.’
PC MacIntyre can be contacted using telephone number 101.