The main light shining over Aberdeen’s new-look Union Terrace Gardens was switched off for four days – just after a mob of teenagers met to fight beneath it.
Around 20 youngsters were seen cheering on a pair of boys, as punches and kicks were flung under the halo light last Tuesday night.
Despite lighting around the perimeter of the revamped gardens (UTG), their centre was noticeably darker on Saturday and Sunday night.
Council staff now say the bright ring, above the mud which will eventually be the main lawn, was switched off sometime on Thursday.
Safety was one of the main justifications for the multi-million-pound rejuvenation project, which began in 2019.
It opened more than a year late – and £1.5 million over budget – three days before Christmas.
Last week, police confirmed the gardens had been opened before new CCTV cameras were fitted.
‘Lights out’ days after teens fought beneath the UTG halo light
And despite the troubling antisocial scenes revealed by The Press And Journal last week, the outage was planned.
We asked the local authority if they had switched the light off in order to deter youngsters from gathering.
A spokeswoman, bound by the council’s pledge to use plain English, told us: “The halo was switched off on Thursday of last week as part of the familiarisation, training and commissioning of external lighting systems at Union Terrace Gardens.
“The halo will be switched back on early this week.”
The light was back on by 2pm on Monday afternoon – two hours before the spokeswoman’s response arrived an hour after our deadline for comment.
A further request for information in layman’s terms received no response by 5pm on Monday.
Police urged to increase Union Terrace Gardens patrols
Last week, local councillor Emma Farquhar called for a greater police presence in the city centre gardens.
The Midstocket and Rosemount member said it was “incumbent” on officers to ensure public safety in the below-ground-level UTG.
In response to the violence, police told The P&J they had considered banning gangs of teens from congregating in Aberdeen last summer.
But they couldn’t meet the legal requirements to introduce another city centre dispersal order, as they had in 2019.
