Young vandals who are causing destruction in Ellon’s town square will be targeted by police.
The owners of pizza parlour The Gaff said they had spent yet another weekend clearing up Neil Ross Square after a group of “20 to 25” teenagers went on a rampage.
They said the ongoing trouble had taken a “nastier” turn this time with a vehicle broken into, a tree pulled from the ground, bins knocked over and empty vodka bottles left lying around.
‘Here we go again’ – Ellon business says youth trouble is a weekly occurrence
The business said in a statement on social media: “Here we are again Ellon.
“Another weekend and another morning cleaning up after your kids.
“Genuinely a weekly job and one that I am honestly too tired to be doing.
“Most people can live with the superficial stuff, litter left lying, Aldi shopping trolleys left (other supermarkets are available), the odd bin knocked over.
“Last night took a nastier turn, trees ruined, business car windows smashed.”
They said that not only does this affect the local area, the clear-up also delays their start time as they have to spend hours cleaning up the mess.
They said: “There is no excuse for the extreme lack of respect.
“These kids last night were 13 to 15 at most and approximately 20-25 of them.”
The business also revealed how people have told them they are “too scared to walk through Neil Ross Square at night”.
Describing that as “hard to hear”, they are encouraging parents to have a word with their children.
They added: “With the police admitting that there is nothing that they can do, this is only going to lead the way to community policing, otherwise known as vigilante justice.”
Local officers “aware” of impact anti-social behaviour is having
A police spokeswoman insisted they are taking steps to clamp down on unruly behaviour.
She said: “We are aware of recent anti-social behaviour in the area of Ellon town centre, and the impact this can have on the community.
“We are continuing to carry out patrols in the area and work closely with partners to address these issues.
“The vast majority of young people do not come to the attention of police, but we know the actions of a small minority can have a negative impact on the lives of local residents and businesses.
“Anyone with concerns is encouraged to contact us by calling 101 to report incidents as promptly as possible so we can take appropriate action to identify offenders.”
Local councillor Isobel Davidson shared her upset over the recent vandalism spree.
She said: “It is very sad that people don’t feel safe to walk in town at night.
“There shouldn’t be vandalism but it’s hard to manage it at Neil Ross Square as it is privately owned.
“There is a plan in place to install CCTV around Ellon to prevent things like this from happening.
“But, it’s a shame that instances like this happen.”