A dangerous craze in a Perthshire town is causing hundreds of pounds-worth of damage to local buildings, according to concerned locals.
Reports of youngsters crawling about on roofs around Crieff have come in from more than one source.
And those challenging the anti-social behaviour are being met with abuse.
The roof of the Legion clubrooms in Crieff had been recently repaired to solve a problem of water getting into the ladies toilets, but a week later youths were climbing over it and dislodging tiles.
Royal British Legion Scotland Crieff branch chairman Tom McKiddie told our sister title the Strathearn Herald : “They’d been coming along the valley and breaking the slates at the edge of the valley as they went.
“Our neighbour saw them and told them to get off but he just got loads of abuse. What we think is they’ve climbed up at the back and been running over the roof. He said there were four boys and two girls on it so we reported it to the police.”
As well as holes in the roof, the damage has also left a hole in the pocket of the branch.
The RBLS clubrooms were reopened in March 2020 following a major refurbishment, but the COVID-19 outbreak has meant the revenue stream that would have been gained from hiring out the hall has been lost.
Mr McKiddie added: “The branch is surviving on money we had in the bank. The building belongs to the branch which pays for any repairs.
“It’s the branch that hires out the hall but during the pandemic that source of funding has stopped.
“That was the idea of getting it all refurbished, but we’ve not been able to use it. When we do bingo teas, fetes etc that all goes towards the branch, which is a charity.”
A Crieff businessman, who did not want to be named, has also had problems with the youths. Tiles crashed on to the ground below when they were on his roof and he said they also verbally abused his elderly neighbour when she challenged them.
He had also seen the youngsters out at midnight and reckoned they were aged about 12 to 15 years old.
“It’s getting out of hand,” he continued. “One of them was up at the chimney stacks. Coming down he dislodged loads of tiles, which came tumbling down. We’ve then had to pay for a roofer to go up there.
“I don’t know where these kids have come from.
“They have a complete and utter disrespect for other people’s property.”
Some of the youngsters have been traced and spoken to by police, but officers have said they will also be speaking to youngsters in the presence of their parents in the next few days.
A spokesperson for Police Scotland said: “We will continue to give the premises involved as much attention as we can and would ask parents to remind their children of the dangers of such behaviour.”
