Concerted effort being made stamp out anti-social behaviour at lakeshore amenities

A concerted effort is being made by Westmeath County Council and An Garda Síochána to stamp out illegal camping and anti-social behaviour at lakeshores, members of Municipal District of Mullingar Kinnegad were assured at their May meeting.

Cllr Andrew Duncan raised the ongoing issue at Ladestown under any other business, at what was the last meeting of the serving council. He anticipated that CCTV cameras would help mitigate the problem.

"A lot of them are nice people who just want to get out for the weekend, but some are not. Some are deliberately cutting down trees, setting camp fires and leaving litter behind them. It’s not good enough, and we have to come up with some policy to deal with it," he said.

Cllr Aoife Davitt said an electronic sign that went up notifying campers that they could not gain access, caused its own problems. She said it was dangerous because it was on a bend and campers were pulling up and taking photographs. "Then the camper vans could not turn because there were eight of them parked in a row. They had nowhere to turn and had to turn in a private entrance," she claimed.

Deirdre Reilly, director of services, assured the members that a joined up approach, in association with the gardaí, is being adopted. Tickets can be issued by the council’s outdoor staff and wardens, and by the gardaí to enforce lakeside bye laws, she said.

Ms Reilly said the electronic sign was put up to deter campers going to Ladestown. She accepted that on the first weekend a lot of vehicles were reversing. However, the end game is to reduce the number going there to camp overnight because that is prohibited, she stated.