Northern Ireland

Crawfordsburn lockdown row: 'People were defecating in gardens'

By Claire Simpson

An MLA has claimed people were defecating in front gardens and taking drugs after large crowds descended on popular north Down beaches yesterday.

Alliance MLA Andrew Muir said the number of people who visited Helen's Bay and Crawfordsburn, particularly during yesterday's bank holiday, was a "real matter of concern".

And he said many people were not sticking to social distancing guidelines.

"I think it's the worst I've ever experienced really," he told BBC Radio Ulster.

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He added: "I think the message clearly has to come out that 'please, people; I know the regulations have been relaxed and people are allowed to travel but we can't cope with these numbers'. There were real health and safety concerns yesterday."

Police said crowds of up to 1,000 people visited the beaches at Crawfordsburn and Helen’s Bay yesterday.

Other areas along the coast were also busy.

"Please use your common sense and avoid well known tourist and beauty spots today so that you protect your own and others' health," a PSNI spokesman said.

Mr Muir said he spotted a crowd of around 200 young people at Crawfordsburn "in clear breach of the regulations" which only allow up to six people to meet outdoors.

He said he saw people who were "clearly intoxicated" and spotted at least one person taking drugs.

"There is a real issue for the welfare of individuals around this," he said.

He added: "Stop coming. We can't deal with the volumes of people."

Mr Muir said although the "vast majority" of young people had shown themselves to be "great, positive citizens... there is a real issue here around parental responsibility".

"I am aware of at least one incident where parents dropped off children with alcohol to a beach. This isn't acceptable," he said.

"I've had residents on the phone, last night at midnight, in relation to anti-social behaviour down at Helen's Bay.

"The fire brigade had to come out yesterday because a skip was set on fire. I had residents on the phone because people were defecating in their gardens."

He questioned whether lockdown restrictions needed to be altered to stop a repeat of yesterday's scenes.

"We can't have a repeat of this again today," he said.

He said "people of all ages" had visited the beach, not just young people.

"The volume of people coming down to these beauty spots and these beaches is overwhelming local neighbourhoods," he said.

"We can't cope with those numbers. With rights comes responsibilities."

He said police were patrolling the beaches but the crowds were too large for officers to enforce social distancing.

"We do need additional police resources on site," he said.

One Helen's Bay resident, who did not wish to be named, said the level of noise in the area over the last four nights had been unbearable.

She said one teenage girl had defecated on the beach, close to houses, and other teenagers were urinating over the area.

"It's been like a rave in Ibiza," she said.

"These kids get off the train at Helen's Bay and walk along Church Road along Helen's Bay beach to Crawfordsburn - to the grass area."

Another woman, who lives in Crawfordsburn, said the beach was relatively quiet this afternoon, with only a few young sunbathers.