Lounging hoods abandon drugs

Residents at Parkmore are in shock after the killer methedrone was discovered at the busy underpass used by a gang of around 20.

Indeed the hoods were so barefaced they even brought their own sun loungers to the party underpass.

However, the threat took a new turn at the weekend when police at Craigavon revealed a bag of suspected methadrone was found at the underpass.

“It was abandoned and could have been found by anyone including children. This highlights the dangers of drugs and I would encourage anyone with any information on drugs to contact Police where it will be treated in confidence,” said the PSNI.

Local community worker Sharon Mills said it has been bad enough with the teenagers drinking at the underpass but leaving drugs laying and putting kids in danger was stooping to a new low.

She revealed the underpass had been a meeting point for a bunch of older teenagers most of them over 17 and not from the Parkmore area.

She said they were so cocky they had even taken their own sun loungers to the underpass to relax while they boozed.

“It has been worse since the beginning of the summer,” she said. “This is a new low.”

The community worker said while the police were good at coming out when called, they tended to be slow in responding.

She explained that the area has their own Neighbourhood Watch which was very good and the Neighbourhood Police were also very good but they were not always on duty. “They are there in a couple of minutes but if the police have to come from Lurgan or Portadown it takes longer.”

She said a lot of people had used that underpass, particularly people who worked at the hospital and a lot of locals who walk their dogs.

However this latest development may put people off, she said.

Sharon added that a lot of work had been done some years ago to spruce up the underpass which is not lit, however a lot of the good work was vandalised.

“I thought it was just them drinking. It was quite a shock for us that they found this. I can’t remember the last time they found drugs here,” she said.

“Normally Parkmore isn’t too bad for anti-social behaviour. We are working with the police but it has been worse since the start of summer,” she said.

A spokesperson for the PSNI said a patrol had found a bag of suspected drugs in the Parkmore area on Saturday 28 July.

“The bag was seized and has been sent for further analysis.”

Police say that the bag ‘was abandoned and could have been found by anyone including children’.

“We would warn people to be mindful of the dangers of taking illegal drugs. Parents need to be responsible, knowing where their children are and what they are doing. Young people who take illegal drugs may get into situations or activities that they would not normally dream of doing. In turn, this type of behaviour has the potential to seriously affect the quality of life for many residents in a community.

“Police officers need the support from the community to address the issue of drugs. Anyone with any information on drugs in this area can contact Craigavon Police Station on 0845 600 8000 where the information will be treated in confidence. Or if someone would prefer to provide information without giving their details, they can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers and speak to them anonymously on 0800 555 111.”