The disruption of a public meeting by a gang of teenagers in the New Lodge is indicative of the seriousness of the situation in the district, under siege residents have said.
Months of criminality have been endured by local residents as a hard core of local teenagers have lain waste to the Seven Hills area.
Residents who have dared to speak out have been intimidated from their homes and their houses and cars attacked while council workers temporarily withdrew from the area for their own safety. Housing Executive employees have had their vehicles damaged with paint and bricks. In one of the latest incidents, a woman who stood up to the thugs had her car vandalised in the early hours of Saturday morning (July 26).
The escalating trouble seen around 200 local people gather in the Recy on Monday night. However they were subjected to taunting and abuse as the teenage gang behind the serious anti-social behaviour descended on the centre during the event.
Fire doors were banged while the gang appeared at the windows, taunting and abusing residents who have tried to address the problem. Local people heard that the answer was to keep pressure on the police and that a process was being mapped out to resolve the issues.
A second public meeting that will be attended by senior PSNI officers and representatives from the statutory agencies is due to take place this money (August 4) in the Recy at 7pm.
