Eyre Street in Newbridge is a no-go area, according to a local county councillor.

Speaking at a meeting of the Joint Policing Committee on Monday afternoon, Cllr Morgan McCabe said that “Eyre Street is a no-go area,” he said, adding “you’d be afraid to drive down there now with people walking out in front of you, out of their heads on drugs”.

"The whole area is deteriorating," he said, and also bemoaned begging on the streets.

Chief Superintendent Brian Sutton responded that he was shocked when he first arrived in Newbridge to see that heroin was being sold on the streets.

Cllr Morgan McCabe

He said that a proactive approach was being taken to dealing with it in the town.

During the course of a later discussion at the JPC Cllr McCabe noted that in the 1970’s the army patrolled Newbridge with Gardai. He indicated he favoured this again.