A MEETING has been told of a worrying spate of house parties in Largs flouting coronavirus lockdown rules.

Community councillor Margaret Wood says that she has been made aware of a surge in gatherings of young people 'all over the town' in a worrying trend as we head towards Hogmanay.

Concerns were also raised during the online meeting about a lack of 'bobbies on the beat' in Largs town centre to track down and break up the illegal gatherings.

Margaret told the News: "Some of the kids are having house parties - and there is nothing being done about them.

"I wouldn't say they are having riotous affairs, but they are coming together all over the town. One apparently spilled out onto the road and police must react to this."

Margaret says she hopes that young people will take on board their 'moral responsibility' to behave.

She said "It is a problem - if people want to gather they are going to do it - it is very selfish of them but they are going to do it anyway."

Community councillor Drew Cochrane has called for data on Covid-19 breaches 'like house parties' to be made public by police.

Margaret told the meeting that latest report showed that there were three incidents of vandalism, two incidents of threatening and abusive behaviour and an attempted house breaking in recent weeks.

There was also a breach of bail conditions, anti-social incidents and a rise in traffic offences.

Although no violent assaults, there were also five common assaults and one man has been reported for drug use.

Mr Cochrane added: "The significance of the crime reports would be the comparison with last year's figures and we want information on these alleged house parties."

The meeting was told police had attended 201 incidents locally in the last month - but that only 38 of these resulted in a crime being identified.

Ms Wood added: "That is actually low in total - that is in relation to the amount of phone calls which are received, and sometimes police are called to investigate matters which in the end up and can quite spurious matters - but 38 is only that number were the actual crimes."

Community council chair Jim Phillips thanked Margaret for her report and said he looked forward to have more information on the figures at their January meeting.

Police say that they are unable to comment specifically on house parties but the News has now submitted a Freedom of Information request for the data.