Village residents terrorised by gang of youths

Richard Evans

A small gang of youths are “slashing tyres”, vandalising property and threatening residents in two quiet rural villages, a councillor clams.

Denbighshire county councillor Chris Evans says their actions are “making life a misery” for people living in Rhuallt and Tremeirchion.

The incidents have been reported to North Wales Police – as well as Denbighshire ’s housing team. But he says some locals are now too frightened to venture out in broad daylight. Cllr Evans claimed: “Young lads and girls are out late at night, and they are wrecking properties. They are going into people’s gardens.

“They’ve smashed a mirror on someone’s drive. Last Monday or Tuesday, a resident was verbally abused by a young lad.

“The lad squared up to him, and the resident came to me, and that’s in the hands of North Wales Police now.” He went on to say some youths were also “smoking drugs and leaving drug paraphernalia in the bus stop and the old Rhuallt school”.

“They’ve smashed all the windows at the side of a house. They are playing chicken in front of vehicles, shouting abuse, harassing families. North Wales Police are shrugging their shoulders, but it needs to stop,” Cllr Evans pleaded.

Both North Wales Police and Denbighshire were approached to respond to the claims.

‘Carrying knives’

He added: “Residents don’t feel safe. Most of my residents are over 60 years old, widowers and infirm people. People don’t feel safe going out in the street at 3pm in the afternoon.” Cllr Evans believes some of those involved are “carrying knives”.

“It is a bravado thing. Even younger people in their 40s feel threatened,” he added. “I’m not knocking Rhyl. Rhyl has got a lot going for it. But this is not Rhyl. This is a little quaint village. But this is a major issue. People are scared.

“One lady has had them in her garden late at night. They’ve got no direction. They are out smoking drugs, writing graffiti, shouting abuse, throwing things at cars, throwing things at cars on the A55 from the footbridge,” he claimed.

Bad behaviour

Michael Doveton, 54, is a furniture designer and manufacturer and took it upon himself to replace a community bench between Rhuallt and Tremeirchion that was “smashed to pieces” by the youths. But Mr Doverton said people in the village had had enough of the bad behaviour.

“There are a couple of youngsters that are misbehaving. They are breaking things. They slashed my tyres six months ago,” he said. “I don’t feel intimidated by them, but you’ve got to hold back. They try to bait you. They want you to react. So the frustrating thing is you can’t do anything.

“There are older people being bothered by them. They are just bullies. The police don’t seem to be able to do anything about it,” Mr Doverton claimed.

He added: “They smashed up the bench on the road between Rhuallt and Tremeirchion. It was a popular bench. It is one of the best places overlooking the valley. So I made a new bench to cheer everyone up.

Their behaviour is escalating. Something has got to be done.”