Council moves over park hooligans

The council hopes to tackle bad behaviour in parks

Belfast City Council is holding public meetings to find ways to deal with anti-social behaviour in its parks.

Councillor Bob Stoker, who chairs the Parks and Leisure Services Committee, said they wanted more "decent people" to use the facilities.

He said they wanted to take action to curb bad behaviour in parks.

"We're not prepared to allow the vandals, the hooligans and the hoodlums to take control of these parks," he told the BBC's Good Morning Ulster.

"We're taking ownership back on behalf of the people."

On Tuesday, users of Ormeau Park told a meeting of their concerns.

One woman, who uses a mobility scooter, told of one attack in the park. She said her two dogs follow her while she is on the mobility aid.

"I came up past the swings and there were two young fellows sitting in school blazers - they lit a banger and they threw it to land in the basket of the scooter," she said.

"But it didn't, it hit the scooter, it went underneath my dog and she took off - it took me four hours to find her."

She said there was no respect being shown by some young people in the park.

The council is responsible for 52 parks in Belfast, eight are included in the pilot scheme for tackling anti-social behaviour.