‘Prisoners in our own home’, say residents

The young people who come into the town in their hundreds to party at the town’s nightclubs are continuing to flout the law and terrorise residents.

This has long been a problem not only in the Drum Road area but also in Molesworth Street where young people have consistently been engaged in anti-social behaviour.

In October 2010, the former Sector Inspector for Cookstown, Gerry McGrath told the MAIL that teenagers who urinate in the street will run the risk of having a sexual offence noted on their record.

The MAIL also reported that teenagers, many of whom were as young as 14, were found wandering the streets in a drunken state after being refused entry to clubs in the town.

And this week, residents in the Drum Road area of Cookstown have said they were angry and disgusted at the activities which took place over the Easter weekend.

“I was like a prisoner in my own home when bus loads of revellers invaded the area - bus loads of youngsters who urinated, vomited and fought battles outside my home,” said one resident.

The resident, who did not want to be named, told the MAIL she lifted 25 empty bottles on Monday and 33 on Tuesday morning.

And she is calling on the venues, the PSNI and the council to work together to put a stop to what she called ‘mindless thuggery.’

Sector Inspector Hazel Moucka confirmed to the MAIL that police are aware of the ongoing issues in the area.

“They are working with a number of agencies to find a resolution to the problem including the local council, DRD, stakeholders in the transport sector, residents and licensees,” she said.

And she added: “The number of resources allocated to the area is reviewed on a regular basis and in line with other area objectives.”