Stornoway residents 'scared to go out' due to anti-social behaviour by young people claim

Anti-social behaviour by young people in parts of Stornoway has left local residents “feeling intimidated” and “scared to go out”, a local councillor has claimed.

Stornoway South Councillor, Rae MacKenzie, told Comhairle nan Eilean Siar’s Education, Sport and Children’s Services committee, that anti-social behaviour was a “major problem in certain parts of the town”, and queried why more was not being done to address the issue when locals say that they “know the people concerned.”

Councillor MacKenzie also raised concerns that a lack of facilities for young people in the town was behind some of the issues.

The Comhairle’s Chief Officer for Education and Children’s Services, Donald MacLeod, acknowledged the “significant” local concerns over the issue, and confirmed that a multi-agency youth justice committee was meeting regularly, and more frequently, in response to the problems.

Mr Macleod stated that the issues raised by Cllr Mackenzie were “complex”, in that while incidents were happening in the town, not all of the young people involved live in Stornoway.

The Chief Officer also supported Cllr Mackenzie’s concerns over a lack of youth clubs and activities where young people could meet and socialise, and said that he was working “to try and put back some of those facilities” that had been lost.

But, Mr MacLeod, stated, only some of the anti-social behaviour being experienced by locals was caused by a lack of such facilities in the town with the rest being “much more complex” in its causation.