THE ONGOING problem of antisocial driving along the Fermanagh border is continuing, with one of the ‘boy racers meet’ events even delaying an ambulance responding to an emergency at the weekend.
As reported by the Herald back in August, the PSNI and An Garda Síochána had launched a cross-border policing operation to tackle the scourge of the driving events on the A3/N54 at Rabbit’s Island in Drummully, on the Fermanagh and Monaghan border.
The ‘diffing and drifting’ events, which are believed to be pre-organised on social media and attract drivers from across the country, have been ongoing for a long time now and are not only extremely dangerous, but very disruptive and frightening to those living in the area.
Speaking to the Herald early this year about the problem, Council chairman Thomas O’Reilly said he and his colleague Cllr Pat Treanor in Clones had been working with the police and gardaí on the problem.
“This is not a few kids with a few old cars coming to do doughnuts,” said Cllr O’Reilly. “This is very well organised meets from very far away across Ireland.
“They are coming and meeting up in Monaghan and Cavan and then coming down to this venue, which is a bit of a natural amphitheatre, with two big banks on either side.”
The joint cross-border operation is continuing, and gardaí from Clones said officers had broken up one of the ‘meets’ at the weekend, seizing two cars.
“During one of our joint policing cross border operations last night, PSNI and Gardai in Clones disrupted a ‘boy racers meet’ along the A3/N54,” said a spokesman for An Garda Síochána.
“A number of road traffic violations were detected and two vehicles seized. There are also further follow up inquiries being made.
“This behaviour continues to cause significant distress to local residents. And as in the case last night, resulted in delays to the ambulance service responding to emergency calls.”
Cllr Treanor previously told the Herald the events often attract in the region of 140 drivers and spectators, and said residents were being “tortured” and living in fear as a result. He said the cross-border cooperation between the two policing bodies was needed to effectively address the issue.
“It’s on the border and they go to the southern bit when it suits and the northern bit when it suits,” he explained.
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