Join the drive for a pristine village

Concerned that visitors to Newbuildings, and those driving though it, may get a poor visual impression of the satellite village, he said the house, which he believed was privately owned, had lain unoccupied for many months.

"Because the house is empty it is being attacked and is attracting all types of anti-social behaviour, with the windows being broken on several occasions. There is drinking taking place, and people are going into the house," he said.

Mr Hay continued: "The Housing Executive went out and boarded up the house, and made the property as safe as possible, but, unfortunately, people have come back and taken off the boarding from the windows and are gaining entry to the property once again.

"This property is the end house in a row of properties and there are concerns that the empty property may be set on fire or effect the rest of the row, so I am appealing for the owners of the house to take action and for those involved in the vandalism of the property to stop before it effects the other people who live nearby. There is keen interest on the part of residents to see this issue resolved as soon as possible," he said.

Mr Hay said people were also keen to see something done with a plot of land on the edge of the main route through Newbuildings which had become overgrown.

"The people of the village are keen to have the land cleaned up. I previously spoke to the owner and was given an undertaking that it will be cleaned up, so I am now appealing for them to make good on their promise.

"All we are asking is that the owners of this piece of land come along and tidy it up. All this is part of the drive towards tidying up the village. It is good to see that Newbuildings has moved on quite a bit of late, and a lot of money has been invested in it, but the state of this land and the vandalism of this house takes away from that," he said.