‘No house is safe’, say town residents

In a letter to this week’s Gazette, Sarah Kay Watt, who says she has the support of neighbours in going public, said that “no house or family is safe from either verbal abuse or contact abuse, ranging from shouting into the late evening to trespassing, to throwing eggs and anything they could get hold of, kicking doors and recently escalating into damaging property”.

She says they have been in constant contact with the police, but nothing seems to change.

“I am constantly looking out of my window, nervous and anxious,” she said. “I am not the only resident in this area feeling this way. At the end of the day the current message to these kids is that they know they are untouchable.”

After being contacted by the Gazette, local chief Inspector Jane Mackenzie said: “We are aware of anti-social behaviour in the Kennedy Terrace area of Stornoway and understand the concern this causes in our local community.

“We are aware of incidents on the street recently and officers attend wherever incidents are reported to us.

“Local officers are working closely with partners to address these issues and find meaningful solutions to direct our young people away from this mindless activity.

“Dedicated patrols are carried out in Stornoway, with officers providing reassurance to the community as well as engaging with young people and discouraging antisocial behaviour.

"It is worth stressing that the vast majority of young people do not come to the attention of police but we know that a small minority do sometimes become involved in anti-social behaviour and their actions can have a negative impact on the lives of local residents.”

Chief Inspector Jane Mackenzie continued: "We are committed to encouraging people away from this kind of behaviour but will take appropriate action where incidents are reported and offenders identified.

"Anyone who has concerns about anti-social behaviour in their area is encouraged to contact police by calling 101 as promptly as possible."