Police say they are doing all they can to resolve Glenavy issues

They were speaking following the latest incident outside a Glenavy chip shop which lasted up to four hours one recent Friday night.

It was one of a long number of incidents outside and around the chip shop that has lasted over many years and has led to the owner, Sara Anderson, deciding to pull down the shutters.

But police have rejected claims they are not doing enough to deal with the matter.

They said that on that night action was taken 'robustly and appropriately'. They say officers approached the crowd who claimed that they were waiting on meals. They agreed to move on and the police moved back from the immediate area. They made one arrest.

And police in Lisburn revealed that some years ago they got a mediator to try resolve issue in the village, but that proved unsuccessful.

Constable Geoff Baird said: "Anyone detected committing offences will be dealt with as appropriate but local issues require local resolutions. Police cannot resolve local issues alone without support from the community."

He said that police have been involved in a number of initiatives in the Glenavy community. They worked with younger people, through schemes with the help of the Glenaiden Youth Centre and an ASCERT community support worker.

A group of youths were taken to YMCA in Greenhill as part of a 'policing with the community' programme with ASCERT and Glenaiden youth centre looked at issues facing young people making choices and the consequences in relation to Anti-Social Behaviour, underage drinking and other risk and protective factors.

The police also helped set up two Neighbourhood Watch Schemes in Glenavy and gave funding to the youth club which was set up a few years ago.

Police also considered ASBOs against four youths in the area.

An evening was set aside at Moira police station for people to report incidents of anti-social behaviour in Glenavy but only one person attended. Con. Baird was also part of the management committee for the Glenaiden Centre several years ago, when equipment was supplied through policing with the community funding.