THIS week’s look into our archives takes us back 16 years – when machete-wielding warring gangs were running riot in a housing scheme.
Some people were too scared to leave their homes in Greenock’s Drumfrochar Road because of battling teens.
They said they regularly faced hooligans wielding machetes and even Samurai swords.
LAST WEEK'S FLASHBACK: The Greenock Telegraph takes a look back at 2011 Tall Ships
Resident Kit Shields, 55, said at the time: “There was a crowd running about the other night — there were girls and boys between 16 and 18 and there were younger ones about 12 who were drinking.
“This is happening every weekend and during the week in the good weather.
“Another time there was a guy with a Samurai sword and he was instrumental in another rammy at the weekend.
“He was lifted, arrested and back out again to cause trouble on Tuesday night.”
Meanwhile, a run-down play park in Greenock’s town centre had been taken over by gangs of underage drinkers and drug users, leaving children with nowhere to go.
Angry parents living nearby wanted to reclaim the park in Sir Michael Street and make it safe for youngsters to enjoy.
They set up Greenock Central action Group, which stepped in to campaign for a facelift for the play area, which was once a hub of the community.
Elsewhere, patients were demanding money saved from the closure of Ravenscraig Hospital was ploughed back into mental health services.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde planned to use £2 million left over from service changes to help reduce its hefty £30m deficit inherited from NHS Argyll and Clyde.
It had recently completed a radical review of mental health services in Inverclyde.
Although patients and health professionals had hailed the new plans as a major step forward, they warned there needed to be bigger investment to make it work.
In sport, Morton got their official pre-season programme off to the perfect start last night with a win over SPL new boys Gretna.
Two first half goals, from strike pair Peter Weatherson and Adam Coakley, put Jim McInally’s men in the driving seat and they saw the remainder of the game out comfortably.
The only sour note came late on when Scott McLaughlin sustained a nasty wrist injury after falling awkwardly.
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