Eight murders in 18 months spark anger

A SCOTTISH town where a teenager was killed has seen eight murders in the last 18 months, an MSP has said.

Reamonn Gormley was attacked as he walked home from watching a televised football match in a bar in Blantyre, South Lanarkshire, on 1 February.

The 19-year-old died in hospital. Two men have been charged with his murder.

Hamilton South MSP Tom McCabe said: "Within a square mile of that tragic murder there has been eight murders in the last 18 months.

"My local paper can report on four murders within a six-week period and page after page reports violent crime."

Mr McCabe called on justice secretary Kenny MacAskill to assure local residents that the police statistics reflect the situation on the streets.

Mr MacAskill said: "We do appreciate some areas of Scotland do face significantly greater problems than others, and I think we do have to get these matters into perspective, but equally remember the problems that instances such as Mr McCabe mentions create."