THESE are the moments a gang of thugs were captured on CCTV rampaging through a Creggan business park which has been left nursing a repair bill of thousands of pounds.
The Rathmore business park was attacked by a masked gang over two nights this week leaving a trail of devastation in their wake.
Community leader Conal McFeely said he was threatened by up to 30 youths carrying iron bars who trashed the premises, smashing gates, daubing ‘IRA’ graffiti on walls and stealing wooden pallets for a sectarian bonfire.
Mr McFeely, who is the development executive of Rathmore business park, said local residents in Creggan are being intimidated.
“Over the last two nights the community at the Rathmore centre has been suffering a series of anti-social attacks by a group of youths, aged from 10 to 17 years old, ” he said.
“The neighbours are actually quite frightened when they see up to 30 young people gathering, some with masks, some with iron bars.
“They entered the Rathmore centre, bust open gates, pulled down fences, pulled down gates and took away the pallets for a bonfire, even though it’s a month early.”
Police have confirmed they received reports of wooden pallets being stolen from the area.
Mr McFeely said he was threatened by the gang when he tried to intervene.
“One of the tenants went down to collect pallets in his company van and they threatened him, threatened to burn the van and told him they would be back that night to get the pallets.
“I confronted them and they surrounded me, threatened me, called me all sorts of things. But I wouldn’t let them out with the pallets.
“What are the parents of these young people doing,? They must know what they’re at.
“It’s a big expensive clean-up that could cost us several thousands of pounds.”
Mr McFeely said security at the centre has been increased.
However, the thugs are by-passing 20ft walls, scaling them with ladders to into the business park.
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