A CONTROVERSIAL gate in St Ives is to be locked by residents again after a second bout of anti-social behaviour. Tony Webster, who has been campaigning for residents to have the right to lock the gate across Cow and Hare Passage in St Ives to prevent tro

A CONTROVERSIAL gate in St Ives is to be locked by residents again after a second bout of anti-social behaviour.

Tony Webster, who has been campaigning for residents to have the right to lock the gate across Cow and Hare Passage in St Ives to prevent trouble from late-night revellers, has said he will now lock the gate again.

Mr Webster had stopped locking the gate after he was told he was breaking the law - despite St Ives police coming out in support of his campaign.

The latest incident of anti-social behaviour in Cow and Hare Passage took place in the early hours of Sunday, October 15, when a group of men threatened to set fire to Mr Webster's son who lives in the passage after he intervened in a commotion.

Mr Webster said his son looked out of his window and saw a man bleeding from a head injury after apparently trying to climb a building in the passage. Police were not called to the incident.

Mr Webster, who owns a property in the passage, said residents have had enough.

"It is getting completely out of control. People living in the passage are genuinely fearing for their lives. The gate needs to be locked to protect those who live in the passage," said Mr Webster.

Sunday's incident follows on from another a fortnight earlier where a man was taken to Hinchingbrooke Hospital after being injured falling from a building in the passage that he had been attempting to climb.

Sgt Jason Cobb, from St Ives police, said: "This is yet another incident of anti-social behaviour that reinforces the need to have the gate to Cow and Hare Passage locked to prevent incidents if this nature taking place."

A public injury in April ruled that the passage was a designated right of way and locking the gate was therefore unlawful.