Neill O’Neill
THE public office of Westport Garda Station remained closed on Monday, after a smoke canister attack occurred there on Sunday night. Around 11.15pm somebody launched the canister into the small public office at the front of the station, setting off the fire alarm and causing panic amongst the Gardaí present.
Describing the act as highly irresponsible, a Garda spokesperson said that not only was it a stupid thing to do, but also very dangerous as the smoke coming from these canisters can contain all sorts of chemicals and toxins, which can have serious implication for anybody subjected to breathing such hazardous fumes in a confined space.
Without saying that they know who perpetrated this act, the spokesperson did state that Gardaí are following a definite line of inquiry into the incident and are confident of tracing the source of the canister. It was further added that people known to Gardaí were observed in the vicinity of the station around the time of the incident and immediately after it.
Smoke damage was caused to the public office and all the forms and paperwork held there had to be dumped. This will cause a inconvenience to anybody looking to use the office, and may cause a delay to some people if certain forms are unavailable.