Whitehill residents hit out over ‘hell neighbours’

Apr 15 2010 by Alastair McNeill, Hamilton Advertiser

RESIDENTS in a Hamilton street this week called on the council to evict a ‘hell family’ who they claim have been causing mayhem.

Mary Ann Kennedy, her partner William ‘Winky’ Kirkwood and their children moved into a home inWhitehill’s Whistleberry Crescent last July.

The family had been at the centre of anti-social neighbour allegations while living at their former home address in Eddlewood’s Loudonhill Avenue.

Neighbours there formed a protest group calling on South Lanarkshire Council to evict the couple and their children, who they accused of harassing householders and trashing property.

Mary Ann Kennedy, however, strongly denied being an anti-social neighbour.

Her partner William Kirkwood has an extensive criminal record, and was sentenced to 120 hours’ community service last July for terrorising Loudonhill Avenue residents with knives and bottles.

This week the Advertiser received a letter signed by 15 Whistleberry Crescent residents accusing the family of anti-social behaviour and calling on the council to take immediate action.

One resident explained: “Things were fine for the first few months after the family moved in to their home in the crescent.

“However, bins started going missing and being set on fire.

“Teenagers have also been out in the streets causing disturbances until the early hours.

“A car has been vandalised and threats have been made to residents.

“William Kirkwood drinks Buckfast on his front porch and allows young boys from all over Whitehill to drink in his garden.”

She added that residents feel the council have let them down badly by allowing the family to move into the crescent.

The neighbour continued: “Young families live here.

“However, parents are scared to let their kids play outside.

“People just don’t feel safe anymore.

“You go off to your work in the morning and worry about what you are going to come back to.

“We want this family out, and we don’t want to wait eight years for the council to do something about it.

“We’re not going to stand for this kind of behaviour.”

Hamilton North and East councillor Barry Douglas said Whistleberry Crescent residents had contacted him about the matter which he has now taken up with council housing officials.

He added: “People are worried, and I understand their concerns.

“However, the correct procedure has to be followed to establish if there is substance to these allegations.

“I would urge anyone with concerns to talk to me, other elected officials, the housing department or the police.”

A Strathclyde Police spokesman confirmed that in the past few weeks police had been called out to Whistleberry Crescent on “several” occasions.

She added: “A 32-year-old man has been charged with a vandalism offence.”

When the family were moved to Whitehill last July the council said it was important they be given a ‘fresh start’, and many concerns about them had “little or no foundation in fact”.

A South Lanarkshire spokesman said this week that the authority are currently investigating a number of complaints of anti-social behaviour which have been lodged in the Whitehill area.

She added that the council were unable to comment on “specific individual cases given that these investigations are ongoing.”