COMMUNITY councillors in Largs have raised concerns at a major increase in the number of incidents reported to local police.

A total of 228 incidents in Largs and the surrounding area were reported to Police Scotland in the four weeks from January 15 to February 13 - compared to 144 during the same period last year.

The reporting period included an incident at a house in Alexander Avenue on February 3 which led to town resident Jordan Honeyman, 29, appearing at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court charged with murder and attempting to defeat the ends of justice following the death of 36-year-old Alan Lawson.

Other incidents recorded during the four-week spell included four separate reports of vandalism to cars and one of a person allegedly carrying a knife in public.

Community councillor Robbie Stevenson said the increase was "concerning".

Sergeant Donald Fisher, Police Scotland's senior officer in the town, said: "I'll need to look back to see if there is any particular reason.

"There is a big difference in the numbers, and I will have a look to see if there is something that jumps out.

"We do get a lot of calls, and sometimes it is not so much for criminality, it may have to do with a person's mental health, which means it might not necessarily make it to a crime report."

Largs and Millport Weekly News:

Community council chairman Jim Phillips said he was concerned about reports of a person with a knife in Aitken Street on Saturday February 10.

Sgt Fisher said: "Someone had seen someone with what they thought was a knife in a pocket.

"It hadn't been brandished, but it has been recorded as a crime for the relevant enquiries, and is still being looked into."

 

Two of the car vandalism incidents happened in the town's Jura Way, with the first reported on January 24 and the second on January 30. 

Both involved vandalism to a car tyre.

On the same day as the second Jura Way incident there was a report of a similar vandalism in Gogo Street, again involving deliberate damage to a car tyre.

And in a further incident, again on January 30, a car wing mirror was reportedly vandalised on Middleton Drive.

 

Anyone with information about the above incidents, or about any suspicions of criminality in the area, can contact Police Scotland on 101 or via the Contact Us section of the Police Scotland website.

Information can also be supplied anonymously by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

In an emergency, always dial 999.