HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE took part in a march to the garda station in Roscrea last night over drug use in the town.

The meeting was organised by Roscrea Community Development Council (RCDC), supported by Roscrea Active Citizenship Association (RACA), and took place in the town’s Abbey Hall.

The gathering was held to discuss the issue of drugs in Roscrea and “the devastation they are causing”, RCDC said.

The locals were due to discuss creating a strategy to help those in need in the town, including helping people to access methadone, setting up a drop-in centre and helping with both rehabilitation and drugs prevention.

A photo taken by local reporter Darren Keegan shows how the meeting turned into a spontaneous march to the local garda station.

Up to 500 people are understood to have taken part in the march.

Roscrea Main Street still blocked after 500 people spontaneously marched on Garda Stn. protesting against drugs pic.twitter.com/rcWZHFQNzD — Darren Keegan (@eirejournalist) July 21, 2014 Source: Darren Keegan /Twitter

The protest blocked the main street for an hour, and a garda is believed to have been called in from Nenagh.

A statement from An Garda Síochána said that two garda Sergeants addressed the crowd at Roscrea Garda Station last night.