Police assurances over ‘boy racers’ in Louth

Kidgate and Aswell Street residents have said that boy racers have been making their lives miserable – adding that their dangerous driving is an ‘accident waiting to happen’.
The junction where Aswell Street meets Kidgate. EMN-200408-093454001The junction where Aswell Street meets Kidgate. EMN-200408-093454001
The junction where Aswell Street meets Kidgate. EMN-200408-093454001

One resident in the Kidgate area, who does not wish to be named for fear of reprisal, said his life had been blighted by the unruly drivers for several years, and suggested that he might move away from the area as a result.

The resident said: “I’ve lived in a few towns, but never been in one with such a problem with boy racers and loudness of the cars. It’s unbelievable.

“Why not just have, once or twice a week, a police officer sit on a bench with a pencil and paper, and get to know the local tear-abouts who are doing it?”

The resident added that, since childhood, he has suffered with ‘misophonia’ – a disorder in which certain sounds can often trigger an overwhelming emotional or physiological response – which has made his situation even worse.

The resident’s plight echoes a similar story we published in March 2018, when a Kidgate resident with a heart condition pleaded for something to be done due to the ‘unbearable’ impact of speeding and exhaust popping on the street.

This week, the Leader spoke to local police inspector Sarah Constantine, who said: “We are aware of this antisocial behaviour and we share the concerns of residents.

“The actions of a few individuals can have a massive impact on the rest of the community, and it is difficult to understand why those individuals have no respect for the rest of their community.

“This is not just an issue that is unique to Louth, and can be seen throughout the rest of our county and the country, and being in lockdown has made things harder for everyone to get support or live in harmony.

“We are exceptionally grateful to those in the community that take the time to report matters to us that concern them, and every bit of information does help us know where we need to be and bid for resources to tackle those issues.

“Your local police team is a small but very dedicated team, which is working very hard to deal with those that cause disruption in the local community, and we work alongside our partners to tackle antisocial behaviour.

“We normally try and have face-to-face engagements with the public especially when dealing with antisocial behaviour, but, as you can imagine, it has simply not been safe over the last few difficult months to do so. We are hoping to resume a more visible way of engaging with you now that lockdown has eased. But, of course, we have to carefully consider each engagement that takes place as we all need to be safe.”

“Please continue to support your local police team by reporting the concerns you have to us, this can be done via 101, online reporting, crime stoppers, or 999 if this is an emergency. The local police team can also be contacted by e-mail or directly, but of course they are not always on duty, or may be dealing with other matters.”