Parents have been told they have a vital role to play in putting an end to “mayhem” in a Levenmouth housing estate.
Two youngsters have been reported to the Children’s Panel after a period of anti-social behaviour in the Bird Scheme in Buckhaven which left elderly people terrified to leave their homes.
Local councillor Andrew Rodger claimed abuse had been hurled at people by the youths, who had also been throwing mud at the windows of houses on Mavis Bank.
Although those apparently responsible are being dealt with, Mr Rodger called on parents to make sure they knew where their children were and what they were doing.
”I’m really perturbed about the Bird Scheme, where youngsters have been causing mayhem in the streets,” he said. ”It’s been so bad the old people don’t want to go out to the shop at the night because they are getting so much stick.”
Expressing fears the loss of custom could eventually lead to the shop’s closure, he added: ”That shop employs a number of local people and we can’t lose it.
”I say this again, where are the parents in this situation? Parents must know their kids are out there doing some sort of damage. It’s well known what’s going on in the area.”
Mr Rodger said it was upsetting to hear elderly people saying they were too frightened to go out the door at night in what had previously been a good area to live in.
”They’ve been saying to the kids ‘please stop what you’re doing’ but they’re getting nothing but abuse for it,” he said.
The councillor added there was no excuse for anti-social behaviour in communities.
”I’ve looked at the activities on offer in the Levenmouth area and there are hundreds of things going on,” he said. ”They can’t say there’s nothing to do, because there is.
”I want parents to support the police and come forward and say my youngster was involved in it but I’ve stopped it.”
Levenmouth Chief Inspector Graeme Kinmond said he hoped the problem was a short-term one, adding: ”The public perception of what we are achieving has been knocked. Two juveniles have now been reported and hopefully it’s a one-off incident.”