FED up residents of Irvine’s harbourside have been told that a mobile police unit could be the answer to the problems of teenagers running riot at the town’s beach.

Harbourside residents have spent the summer watching groups of up to 40 teenagers hit the beach on a daily basis.

And two weeks ago, on July 21 police were called again as teenagers were caught up in a disorder at the beach.

At the time Police Scotland said officers responded to disperse youngsters fighting.

The youngsters head to the harbourside to take part in ‘tombstoning’ where they jump into the water from a great height.

And while the residents can’t stop young people they wanted reassurance from the police that they were aware of the problems the teenagers brought to that area of the town.

They were concerned about the number of young people who were taking part in the dangerous activity from the Big Idea bridge.

A spokesperson for Ardrossan Coastguard said: “Unbeknown to the young people, if it low tide and jumping into shallow water from that height has a significant risk of injury.

“Regardless of the height or depth of water, tombstoning also brings with it additional risks of cold water shock which can lead to people getting into seriously difficulty in the water as well as the risk of being injured or trapped on items hidden beneath the surface.”

One resident said: “It is a shame that so many people are working hard to make sure the harbourside is looking great but it has to be said some of the groups of young people are making their mark on the area and not in a good way.

“The mess they leave behind is unbelievable and it seems unfair that volunteers from Irvine Clean Up Crew and Coastwatch have to go out and tidy up after them.

“There is also the problem of anti-social behaviour, they have carrier bags of booze and head to the beach, the next thing you know they are jumping into the water from great heights, it is a miracle no one has been injured.

“We just want some help monitoring what is going on, the beach has never been so busy and during the hot spell of weather it was just invaded by these teenagers.”

Three years ago Irvine harbourside became a hotspot for teenagers, on one occasion, pictured here, over 500 arrived at the town’s station and were sent home as trains couldn’t cope with the numbers.

The resident went on: “We have been told that a mobile unit will monitor the situation and this offers us some hope that we have been listened to and there will be less carry on if the heatwave returns this week.”