Although evening activities don’t normally begin until the clocks go forward, the mildest February since records began has prompted an early start to KYB spring training.
Keying cars and snapping off wing mirrors is an unpleasant enough activity without venturing out in inclement weather to do so, which is why teenage ASBO collectors tend to stay safely tucked in front of their games consoles during the dark winter months.
However, the relatively warm weather has facilitated an early start to gang activities, with lower Colgrain being hit by a wave of disruptive activity this past weekend.
One resident of Abbotsford Drive, who wished to remain anonymous, contacted the ‘Adviser to say that the wing mirror had been broken off their car shortly before midnight. The resident felt they were lucky to have escaped with relatively minor damage as the lawless youths swept through the area.
“They were jumping on top of some other cars in the street. I called the police but that was pointless – they were off up past the county hotel long before we saw a patrol car.” The resident told us. “It cost over £50 to fix so it wasn’t worth claiming insurance on, but that’s £50 I won’t be spending in a local pub or restaurant this month. When you think about it, what they’re doing is actually harmful to the local economy.”
A representative from the KYB said that although they could not comment on specific incidents, they told us that the organisation was indeed making the most of the good conditions in order to hone their skills before the summer.
That preparation is likely to be in anticipation of a face-off between the KYB and the Dumbarton Dinky scheduled for later in the spring. We contacted Helensburgh police station for advice we might offer to readers enduring this current spate of vandalism, but the two officers assigned to serve and protect a population of 13,000 weren’t in at the time.