Councils ‘forced to uphold the law’

THE hiring of a private investigator by a town council shows local authorities are now being forced to uphold the law, Fine Gael said yesterday.

The introduction of a housing estates investigator proves councils can't wait any longer for help and find themselves forced to hire their own private lawmen, said FG justice spokesman John Deasy.

The private law enforcer, hired by Thurles Town Council in Co Tipperary and funded by the Department of the Environment, will deal with drug-dealing, anti-social behaviour and intimidation in housing estates, he said.