Hills 'more peaceful' after operation aimed at 'boy racers' in Laois

Gardai have repeated their warning to so called ‘boy racers’ who were targeted in an operation in the Slieve Bloom Mountains in March. 

Garda Superintendent Eamon Curley said an operation had been carried out at Glendine on March 25 and Gardai would remain vigilant on the issue. 

“In relation to boy racer type activities in the Glendine, Mountrath area. I would like to notify the council that on the 25th of March we ran an operation involving our traffic corps in Portlaoise coupled with our divisional counterparts in Offaly whereby we intercepted a boy racer type meeting in Glendine. 

A number of FCPN(Fixed Charge Penalty Notices) were issued to those in attendance, some vehicles were seized and a number of offences were detected,” he said. 

Supt Curley spoke about the issue at the latest Laois Joint Policing Committee meeting. 

“This is just one such operation that we advised on the last occasion we were vigilant towards. We continue to be vigilant towards this and it will receive ongoing attention going forward,” said Supt Curley.  

Fine Gael Cllr Conor Bergin commended the gardai on the day of action in the Slieve Blooms. 

“In fairness to give credit to the retired Chief Superintendent John Scanlan, on his last day here he gave a commitment that there would be action on the issue of boy racers at Glendine and he was very firm on that. He is a man of his word,” said Cllr Bergin.  

“It was awful what was going on there in the last number of years and the litter and the dirt that was left behind,” he added. 

“The carry on that was going on in Glendine, it was disgraceful,” said Cllr Bergin.  

He expressed his hope that  it is going to alleviate the situation. 

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Deputy Brian Stanley also welcomed the action by Gardai in the Slieve Blooms. 

“The hills are a lot more peaceful then they were. That was a very difficult situation. It wasn’t just that there was a road hazard and dangerous on the roads for people coming home at night.  There was a level of intimidation accompanying it unfortunately, where people were being intimidated in their houses as well,” he said.