HELENSBURGH and Lomond police are bidding to crack down on anti-social behaviour in Luss after several reports of youths disturbing residents in the area.

The village will be the focus of an increased police presence in the upcoming weeks in an attempt to deter young people who have turned up revving their car engines, spinning wheels and causing upset and annoyance.

Area inspector Roddy MacNeill walked around the village last week with MSP Jackie Baillie, representatives from the community council and local businesses.

He said: “Officers will be carrying out increased patrols in an effort to combat recent reports of anti-social behaviour and criminality in and around the village.

“Officers will be patrolling in both marked and unmarked police vehicles and will adopt a robust policing style.

“Persons within the village using motor vehicles to cause annoyance, and who have contravened particular road traffic legislation, will be issued with a warning under anti-social behaviour legislation which informs the owner that committing a further similar offence within 12 months will result in the seizure of the vehicle.”

Five people in their early twenties have been charged in the past two weeks for incidents at the public car park in the village.

On Sunday, March 17, two males - a 20-year-old and a 21-year-old, both from Johnstone – were charged with alleged possession of cannabis and a report was sent to the procurator fiscal.

A 20-year-old male was also charged with the same offence on Friday, March 22, while two females, aged 20 and 21, were reported for allegedly possessing the class B drug while sitting in a vehicle in the car park.