Clean up after night of trouble in Lime Grove

The Lurgan branch of the PUP has called for residents to remain vigilant and for an increase in visible policing to reassure them after a night of trouble.

In the early hours of Thursday morning PUP activists received a call from a resident to say they had been awoken by the noise of breaking bottles and anti-social behaviour.

PUP members arrived in the area and were told that the police had been called but were still not present.

A PUP spokesperson said: “After an investigation of the scene it was obvious to the PUP members present that the bottles had contained petrol and it was fortunate that these had failed to ignite.

“At this stage the PSNI arrived in the area and after conversations the police gave a reassurance that they would take charge and monitor the area and the residents were relieved by this.

“The PUP members departed with these reassurances from the PSNI but an hour later another distressed call was received from a resident who reported hearing a loud thud from an object they thought had been thrown at their house.

“The PUP members were back in the area after only three minutes of the call and the PSNI were nowhere to be seen.

“Speaking to the residents they said they had again rang the police and had been assured they would be straight there.

“The PUP members on the ground felt though that once again the police response was very slow.”

It was discovered a brick had been thrown at the houses and more bottles had also been thrown. A letter box was ripped from the wall of a house and road signs were damaged.

The following day PUP activists returned to the scene to talk to the residents affected by the disturbances and do a clean up of the debris from the trouble.