In the Pioledo, located in the centre of the city of Vila Real, several nightlife establishments are concentrated and, in June, a skirmish involving several young people resulted in light injuries to three of them and damage to the door of a bank and an ATM machine.

There are continuing complaints from residents that the in the area of the bars that there is a lot of noise caused by consumers who remain outside the establishments even after they close.

In a statement, the police said that with the "existence of a high number of restaurants, drinking establishments and similar, associated with an equally high concentration of people, it is easy to understand that such a combination potentiates not only an increase in ambient noise but also a greater probability of incivilities, whether criminal in nature or not".

"All of them duly solved and forwarded to the respective competent entity", stressed the police.

According to the PSP, "the increase of people in bars, discos and, in general, on the public highway, whether in the Pioledo area, or in any other area of the city of Vila Real, is directly linked to lockdown easing".

"Due to the combination of all these factors, the Pioledo is surely the most policed area in the city of Vila Real, both during the day and at night. Proof of this are the numerous reports and notifications", the police force added.

The Vila Real PSP district command assured that "it is attentive to all phenomena that occur in its area of jurisdiction" and, through its various police forces, has "directed intermittent but regular policing to the Pioledo area, with special attention and reinforcement during the night hours".

As "proof" of this action, he added, was the "increase in the number of infraction notices" for violation of the restrictions Covid-19: non-use of masks, disrespect of the safety distance, consumption of alcoholic beverages on the public highway, overcrowding of establishments or operation beyond authorised hours.

A report published in a national daily newspaper this week highlighted a skirmish that occurred in Pioledo involving Army soldiers.

The PSP regretted "the social alarm" caused by the news and clarified that the last confirmed occurrence related to disagreements involving military personnel, in that area, dates back to 2017.

Photo:Jsobral