Photos of children’s drinking and drugs den in Lurgan released

Police have issued photos of the drugs paraphernalia and debris left by a gang of 200 youths in Lurgan at the weekend.
By Carmel Robinson
Published 16th Dec 2015, 11:21 BST
A sea of broken glass, bottles, drug paraphanaelia and rubbish left in Castle Lane following the dispersal by police of around 200 youthsA sea of broken glass, bottles, drug paraphanaelia and rubbish left in Castle Lane following the dispersal by police of around 200 youths
A sea of broken glass, bottles, drug paraphanaelia and rubbish left in Castle Lane following the dispersal by police of around 200 youths

The PSNI dispersed the crowd of youngsters in Lurgan town centre, with a number of drunk children taken home to their parents by officers.

Shocking scenes of huge numbers of young children taking alcohol greeted shoppers in the Castle Lane area on Saturday afternoon.

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An 18-year-old man was arrested for disorderly behaviour and possession of Class B drugs. He was later released pending a report to the Public Prosecution Service.

The aftermath of the scene at Castle Lane Lurgan after a gang of 200 youths were dispersed by policeThe aftermath of the scene at Castle Lane Lurgan after a gang of 200 youths were dispersed by police
The aftermath of the scene at Castle Lane Lurgan after a gang of 200 youths were dispersed by police

Police warned parents to check where their children are, warning them of the ‘oldest trick in the book’ used by kids claiming they were sleeping at a friend’s house.

A PSNI spokesperson said: “The parents of a number of people were contacted and collected their children and some were brought home.”

Superintendent Davy Moore said: “We do not want to see any young person gain a criminal record and it can be easy to get caught up in situations beyond your control. Fortunately in this incident, we were able to disperse the crowd and ensure that people got home safely.

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“It was clear that a number of teenagers were under the influence of alcohol and this is against the law. I would ask parents to speak to their children and explain that becoming involved in antisocial behaviour which includes underage drinking, disorderly behaviour and criminal damage could result in a criminal conviction. A conviction can affect your travel, education and employment prospects.”

Related topics:PolicePSNI