Emergency services were kept busy over Bank Holiday weekend

A spate of anti-social behaviour, across the county over the Halloween weekend has led to calls for increased gardai on the beat, activation of CCTV cameras in Navan and better public lighting.

Meath Fire Service was busy over the past few days, with bins being set alight in a number of towns, while also dealing with a house fire in Dunboyne.

Fire units from Ashbourne and Dunshaughlin attended a house fire on the Summerhill Road in Dunboyne at around 5.30 on Monday morning. There was nobody injured in the blaze which fire fighters took five hours to bring under control.

Meanwhile, firefighters were called to several incidents of burning bins around the county over the last few days.

On Sunday night, bins on Rafferty's Lane, off Trimgate Street in navan were set alight, causing concern the blaze could spread to nearby businesses and apartments. Bins in Bakery Lane were also set on fire the same night, while in Dunboyne one of the council's Big Belly Bins was set alight and destroyed. A similar bin was destroyed in Athboy last week.

Cllr Tommy Reilly warned the fires in Navan on Sunday night could have ended in catastrophe if it had spread.

"The anti social behaviour over the last few days has been terrible. I am calling for an urgent meeting of the Joint Policing Committee and for the Garda Superintendent to attend the next meeting of Navan Municipal Council. We need the CCTV cameras to be activated in Navan, we also need better lighting, especially in the lanes and more gardai."

Cllr Damien O'Reilly was angry at the destruction of the Big Belly Bin in Dunboyne on Sunday night. "These bins cost €4,500 and are great for compacting waste, allowing better use of council resources as they don't have to be emptied as often.

"It is a shame, especially when Tidy Towns groups are working so hard and gaining points in this year's competition. A similar bin was destroyed in Ratoath village a few months ago," Cllr O'Reilly concluded.

Cllr David Gilroy said there had been a fire at a bin in Athboy last week. "Some mindless creature thought it a good idea to throw a firework into one of the bins on the Fair Green. The result was a considerable fire which filled the place with toxic smoke and caused a lot of concern among the young people who witnessed it. Well done to the very community minded young lady who raised the alarm, a huge thank you to Alan Rogers and crew for helping put out the fire, to the council outdoor staff who were on the scene within minutes, Trim Fire brigade for ensuring everything was out and safe and the local Gardai for following up with an investigation immediately."