Stay away warning issued to youngsters and parents alike at beauty spot

Two leading figures in Kilsyth have issued a stay-away warning to young out-of-towners who flocked to historic Colzium Estate earlier this month - and it categorically applies to their parents too.
By The Newsroom
Published 17th Feb 2021, 09:57 BST
Updated 17th Feb 2021, 10:10 BST

Last week, we revealed in our online edition that four young people had been charged following disorder on Saturday, February 6.

Police said that many of those gathered there were not from Kilsyth and had been driven there from areas like Cumbernauld and the town’s outlying villages.

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Now, Bill Craik who is the chairman of Kilsyth Community Council and Secretary of the Friends of Colzium group has a special message for those involved.

And he insists that he’s speaking out to protect the welfare of the teenagers themselves.

Mr Craik said: “Here in Kilsyth we do have problems with our own children in certain parts of the town but to hear that there are parents who are willing to drive their children here to participate in this sort of conduct is something I find very disheartening.

“It’s a worry too when you hear that the kids involved are drinking or taking drugs and it is my view that this puts young girls in particular into a very vulnerable situation that could affect their lives in years to come. “There is a certain part of society now that doesn’t seem to care - and thankfully not everyone is like that but obviously this was a worrying incident. 
“Parents should be educating their children on the risks involved not enabling them to get into these sort of situations by driving them into Kilsyth from places like Cumbernauld.

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The second person to condemn the meet-up is the provost of North Lanarkshire Council Jean Jones - who is herself a Kilsythian.

She acknowledged: “It’s difficult for everyone just now and we are all missing our friends and family but it’s really not acceptable for people to be gathering while we are in the midst of this pandemic.

“Everyone – including parents – has their part to play in ensuring that we are doing everything we can to stop the spread of coronavirus. And of course any form of vandalism or antisocial behaviour is completely unacceptable.”

For more on this story, see this week’s edition of the Cumbernauld News and Kilsyth Chronicle - out today.