CUSTOMERS and staff at Helensburgh’s pubs have been praised for sticking to the country’s Covid-19 guidelines by the area’s senior police officer.

Inspector Roddy MacNeill said there had been no significant issues at any of the town’s licensed premises since the move into phase three of the Scottish Government’s route map out of lockdown.

He was responding to a question from Helensburgh Central councillor Graham Hardie, raised at a meeting of Argyll and Bute Council’s Helensburgh and Lomond area committee last week.

Councillor Hardie said: “Before Covid-19, there were quite a few issues with anti-social behaviour when people came out of the pubs on a Saturday night.

“Since lockdown, has this decreased?”

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Inspector MacNeill responded: “During lockdown, pubs were of course off limits and people have now been returning.

“We do a lot of visits to pubs that are open but the numbers attending are a lot lower than normal.

“Since we have moved into phase three there have been no real issues at all. They are all being managed very well.

“We are making sure all premises have test and trace during our visits and that guidelines are being adhered to.

“Nobody has been breaching them and they are all in good order.

“Numbers are not what you would expect from August into a good-weathered September.”

Meanwhile, Inspector MacNeill told the same meeting that plans to install a speed camera in Cardross would be a “massive help” to efforts by police to ensure motorists drive safely in the area.

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Safety Camera Scotland identified the A814 through the village as one of 24 potential sites where extra safety measures could be introduced as part of a £675,000 investment package by Transport Scotland.

Councillor David Kinniburgh raised the issue of speeding both in Cardross itself and in nearby Ardoch, asking whether Police Scotland had sent a speed detection van to the area.

Inspector MacNeill replied: “Ardoch is a 40mph zone, so we cannot stand there. Traffic management colleagues have picked it up and found that the average speed, in the main, was not excessive.

“But the traffic car has plotted up there and I believe a number of tickets have been issued.

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“I believe one vehicle was also charged with other traffic offences.

“They only deploy the van in relation to crash statistics, hence I can get them for the A83, which in general does have a fair number of incidents.

“The van has been in Cardross, but it was a while back, and hopefully if the speed camera does go there, it won’t need to return.

“Years ago, police would attend any crash. Now, if it is low speed and a non-injury incident, there is a non-attendance criteria.

“We’ve attended a couple of recent accidents in Cardross. One involved a person hitting the railings near the pharmacy, and they were charged as a result.”

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