‘Take action on underage drinkers’

Speaking at Tuesday’s meeting in Portstewart Town Hall, one resident raised the issue of the path which runs from the Diamond to St John’s Close.

The woman described how she regularly saw young people, some as young as 14 or 15, drinking on the lane.

The behaviour was described as intimidating and the issue of discarded bottles and cans was also raised.

The meeting heard that efforts were being made to “shine a light on the situation - quite literally” by making the lane a less attractive place for these young people to “hang around”.

Alliance Cllr Barney Fitzpatrick told the meeting that new lights had been fitted which would make the lane less shaded.

Cllr Maura Hickey of the SDLP said that two years ago Coleraine Council had cut back the trees along the lane as a gesture of good will to provide additional light. It was agreed to ask Council to do this again.

Coleraine Borough Council’s principal Environmental Health Officer, Jackie Barr, said she would look into the issue of whether the lane was covered by on-street drinking legislation and whether signage was in place.