Fairhill resident claims yobs are making her life a misery as anti-social investigtation gets underway

Feb 11 2010 by Alastair McNeill, Hamilton Advertiser

A RESIDENT in a part of Fairhill is living in fear from a gang of ‘feral’ yobs.

According to student nurse Suzanne McMurray, the youths are terrorising the Fairhill Avenue and Mill Road area.

Her home has been repeatedly pelted with snowballs and stones.

And she said she has been subjected to a campaign of intimidation from a gang of teenagers, both boys and girls, since she complained about their behaviour.

The 38-year-old has also had to endure verbal assaults and being spat on.

Ms McMurray says that when she went to complain to the mother of one of the boys she was abused and threatened.

She said another relative had threatened to lodge a complaint accusing her of assaulting a six-year-old girl and would testify against her.

Ms McMurray explained: “It started when one of my windows got hit by snowballs just before Christmas.

“When I asked the gang involved to stop it, all I got was a load of abuse.

“I went to the mother of one of the boys to complain about his behaviour, but was mobbed by about 18 people – a lot of them children and youths aged between six and 19.

“The mother came out with a pole in her hand. She didn’t listen. She wasn’t interested.

“I contacted the police and the next night six or seven youths, aged between 16 and 19, pelted me with snowballs on my way out shopping.

“I fell down and tried to protect myself. They also shouted insults at me and called me a ‘grass’.”

Ms McMurray said the yobs’ behaviour had made her very anxious, and she has had to suspend studying for a course because of the yobs’ behaviour.

“I see these youths day in and day out. I’m living in torment.

“Some people in the area feel you shouldn’t challenge them, but someone surely has to stand up to them.”

Strathclyde Police said they had received seven complaints from Ms McMurray regarding residents in the Fairhill Avenue area since the beginning of December. The latest was February 4.

They include incidents of snowball-throwing and youths causing disturbances.

A South Lanarkshire Council spokesman said this week that an anti-social investigation is underway.

The Advertiser contacted the mum this week for comment on the matter. However, she had not responded by the time of going to press.

PROBE: an anti-social behaviour investigation focusing on yob behaviour in Fairhill is underway.

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