SDLP Councillor Colin McGrath, a member of the local Policing Partnership Committee, has condemned the actions of a group of young people in Downpatrick which recently resulted in injuries and hospitalisation. He said, “We could be quick to assume that this is a result of drink as it occurred on a Friday night, but this incident saw a group of young people behave in an inappropriate manner that resulted in some having to attend hospital. “The impact of these actions has seen police and medical intervention which is a needless drain of public money and I condemn those that behave in such a way. “It is crucial that young people who have issues or problems with each other deal with them in an appropriate way and not in a manner that is violent, hurtful or draining of the public purse. “I have encouraged the PSNI to pursue matters where necessary to ensure that the message is delivered loud and clear that this type of behaviour is not typical of local young people in Downpatrick, will not be tolerated and certainly is not what the local community expect,” he added.]]>