Disorder involving youths in Cowdenbeath 'totally unacceptable' after police attacked

Disorder involving as many as 50 youths in Fife, in which police were allegedly assaulted, has been deemed “totally unacceptable” by a local councillor.

Police were called to a disturbance involving between 40 and 50 youths on Stenhouse Road in Cowdenbeath at around 9pm on Thursday.

It came after police responded to reports of a fire being deliberately set in a grassy area near Pit Road around 5.30pm the same evening.

Footage shared on social media showed a number of police vehicles targeted by a large group near Aldi in the town.

Police were called to attend a disturbance involving a large group of youths on Stenhouse Road. Fife Jammer Locations

In one clip, dozens of youths surround a police vehicle before officers are able to make off.

Police say they were engaged in proactive patrols following reports of antisocial behaviour the previous evening.

A 13-year-old female has been charged in connection with the assault of an officer and attempted assault of two other officers.

A 14-year-old male and three female youths, aged 13, 14 and 15, were also charged in connection with the disturbance and obstructing officers in carrying out their duties. All will be reported to the relevant authorities.

Local councillor Alex Campbell described the disorder as “totally and utterly unacceptable”.

He told STV News: “People have to be safe to go out at night, especially when going out for groceries to a local shop.

“They’re coming out and facing this, which is totally and utterly unacceptable.

“We have to work with partnerships with the Police, Safer Communities and youth groups to try and eliminate this going forward.”

Police say enquiries are ongoing to trace further individuals involved in the disturbance.

Chief Inspector Christopher Dow, Local Area Commander, described the acts of disorder as “appalling” last week.

He said: “Engaging in antisocial behaviour and then obstructing or assaulting police officers doing their duty is not and will not be tolerated in our community.

“Our enquiries so far suggest as many as 40 to 50 youths were involved, and we are carrying out robust measures to trace every one of them, including reviewing Body Worn Video footage which provides very clear images.

“I understand that incidents like this can cause concern for locals, but I want to reassure them we are taking a zero-tolerance approach to violence and disorder.

Chief inspector Christopher Dow, local area commander
“The acts of disorder in Cowdenbeath on Thursday night were appalling.”

“We will be tasking officers to carry out more patrols in the local area with a focus on antisocial behaviour.

“We are liaising with the authorities to ensure those involved are effectively brought to justice and we are considering serious charges due to the scale of disorder.

“I would urge those responsible to think about their behaviour and what the outcome of their actions could be, and I am asking parents and guardians to make sure they know where their children are and to talk to them about the impact of this type of activity.”

Enquiries are ongoing, and anyone with information can contact the police on 101, quoting incident 3337 of October 16.