Hillhouse family told West Craigs swing park isn’t for “SCUM”

May 27 2010 by Gary Fanning, Hamilton Advertiser

A YOUNG Hillhouse family enjoying the sunshine in a swing park in West Craigs were told by a local resident that it wasn’t to be used by “SCUM” or any “Tom, Dick or Harry”.

Christina Young of Dunkeld Place, blasted the raging woman who rushed over to the shocked family and told them they had no right to be using the popular play area – as they didn’t live in the private housing estate.

Christina (27) her partner Alan (31), and their two children, Mary (6) and two-year-old Lana were having a lovely picnic on benches in the park in the sizzling heat when the row erupted last Friday about 5.30pm.

And during the outburst the woman told a shocked Alan, who is originally from Belfast, that he was not even from this country.

Christina, who works night shift at Abercorn Nursing Home in Hamilton, said: “We were minding our own business when a woman who was in the park with two boys, who were her grandchildren, came over and said do you realise this is a private play area.

“I said I thought it was for the public to use. She said not at all. It isn’t for SCUM or any Tom, Dick or Harry of the day.

“I am furious that the woman was calling my children scum.

“She wasn’t very nice, nasty and offended me in front of my children. Her attitude was terrible.”

Christina said that she has visited the swing park with her children and Alan, who works for Tesco in Rutherglen, four or five times without any problems.

The mum-of-two said: “We didn’t realise that we couldn’t use the swing park as there were no signs to say private residents only.

“There are signs in the park to say no smoking and no loitering.

“I pay rent, council tax and thought my children would be entitled to play in any swing park they wanted. I didn’t think that a swing park was private.

“Alan said to me come and we will go to a different play park. We don’t want to cause any trouble. It’s ridiculous my kids can’t play in the swing park.”

On top of their council tax bills, households in West Craigs pay Glasgow-based Greenbelt £102.61 per year to maintain the open space areas.

But the developer says the swing parks and open space can be used by anyone, no matter where they live.

SNP councillor Graeme Horne, who lives in West Craigs, said: “I am appalled and disgusted by an attitude like that. The woman should be ashamed of herself.

“West Craigs is a private estate but the swing park area is open space and to be used by all. I have heard no problems at the park recently.

“There has been a historic issue of youths congregating at the pathway at the bottom of the estate leading to Hillhouse and some windows had been broken.

“The youths hung around that area before the housing development was built.

“But the problem of youths from Hillhouse congregating at the lane has tailed off.”

John Beveridge, spokesman for Greenbelt, said anyone can visit the swing park.

“It is public open space and anyone can be there whether they live in the south of Scotland, England or the United States,” he added.

“Planning law states that public open space and landscaped areas are available to everyone and not on the exclusion of age, race, colour or location.

“The woman is right and the resident is wrong.”