An upsurge in late-night crime in Sligo over the past week, including a petrol-bomb attack and two stabbings has forced the Gardai to increase patrols in the town.
Gardai say there has been a marked increase in public order offences since New Year's Eve and numerous arrests have been made. Most of the offences have occurred between midnight and 4 a.m. The crimes include a petrol-bomb attack on a bar, two stabbings and the burning of a number of cars. Chief Supt Bill Donoghue said yesterday it was decided to increase the number of gardai and to put an extra patrol vehicle on at night.
Chief Supt Donoghue said the petrol-bomb attack on the Ark Bar on High Street in the early hours of Tuesday was "a sinister development". A burning rag had been stuffed into a bottle of petrol and thrown into the entrance porch of the bar. Staff managed to kick it into the street before any serious damage was caused. It is believed the incident may relate to the barring from the pub of a number of individuals.
On New Year's Eve, a doorman working for a Sligo nightclub received superficial injuries in a knife attack. A gang of youths threw cans at a Garda patrol car in the town centre on the same night.
In another incident last weekend, a member of the Traveller community was attacked in the city centre early on Saturday morning. Mr Jimmy Ward, a father of three young children, told the Sligo Champion he had more than 100 stitches for stab wounds after being attacked by a number of men wielding a Stanley knife. It is believed the incident related to a row in a pub in Ballyshannon on New Year's Day.