Posted online: Jun 24th, 2009

A fed-up group of Newtowncunningham residents have staged a protest against underage drinking on their estate.

A large group of residents gathered in the green area at Colehill on Monday night last and proclaimed, “enough is enough.”

The green area on the estate, which is dotted with modern stone seats, has become strewn with bottles, broken glass and rubbish. 

Speaking to the “Inish Times,,” they said that the situation had “got out of hand” and they felt they had “no other option” but to take action.

“Every night a group of young people, the majority of them look to be underage, gather here on the green and drink for hours,” said one resident who did not wished to be named.

“Most of them aren’t even from this estate but come in from neighbouring communities.  The noise they make is unbelievable and they are there to all hours. They just leave all their bottles and glasses lying about and the rubbish is awful.”

Another resident said she wouldn’t let her children play at the green area.

“This place used to look so nice and the Council put in those lovely seats and now it just looks terrible. There’s so much glass there, there’s no way the children can play there in case they get cut.”

Another resident said it was “a shame” as the area is regularly maintained “but it’s just as bad the next day.”

“We fought to get this place made nice and now they are ruining it,” he said.

They said they had staged the protest to let those responsible know they “can’t get away with it any more and enough is enough.”

A local Garda met with the residents at the protest and heard their concerns. They decided to hold a resident’s meeting on the issue in the near future.