Authorities in a west of Scotland town have been forced to take drastic measures to stop green traffic lights being vandalised, the Herald newspaper said on Friday, suggesting religion was to blame.
The municipal council has put protective wire grilles over every green light in Larkhall, near Glasgow, because vandals have smashed 205 lights and caused £17 000-worth of damage since 2004.
The newspaper suggested pro-British Protestants youths who favour the red, white and blue of the Union flag were to blame as they objected to the green that is part of Catholic Ireland’s orange, white and green tricolour.
Western Scotland has long had a reputation for sectarianism, with well-known rivalry between the Glasgow football clubs of Rangers and Celtic that has often erupted in violence between fans.
In the 1990s, some lampposts and kerbstones in Larkhall were painted red, white and blue as in some fiercely protestant communities in Northern Ireland, the Herald said.
One pharmacy was also said to have changed its green-and-white signs to red, white and blue because customers stayed away, it added.
But David Wynn, from South Lanarkshire Council, said the local authority had no comment to make on the “sectarianism vandalism” claims.
The grilles were being put up on new traffic signals as a trial after the council’s contractor encountered similar problems elsewhere in the country.
“It’s purely for safety purposes. We’re putting grilles on all the new green lights. If you don’t get a green light, it can cause problems.” he said.
The fact that the green light is the lowest of the three lamps also helps vandals. “Green lights are one of the easiest to get to. That may be a contributory factor,” said Wynn. — AFP