Raymond Rogers and residents of St Colmcille's Villas in Kells with the burned out car.

Escalating incidents of antisocial behaviour have forced residents of St Colmcille's Villas in Kells to seek an urgent meeting with the local garda superintendent and the chairperson of the Joint Policing Committee after two serious incidents in the estate in the past week.

A car was set alight and destroyed in the early hours of last Thursday morning and, that night, in a separate incident, a man in his late 50s was assaulted as he walked home.

Both incidents occurred at a laneway at the rear of houses in the estate that is a focal point for youths drinking and engaging in antisocial behaviour.

The petition is being organised by local resident Raymound Rogers, who was horrified to discover his car had been set alight in the laneway in the early hours of last Thursday morning after a neighbour alerted him.

The petition has been supported by residents of St Colmcille's Villas, many of whom are elderly, who want something done to tackle the problem of antisocial behaviour in the area.

They are seeking a meeting with the local garda superintendent and the chairperson of the Kells Joint Policing Committee, Cllr Brian Collins, to find a solution.

To read the full story see this week's Meath Chronicle.