A meeting has taken place to calm community concerns following the death of a 19-year-old cyclist, which is now being treated as murder.
On Monday night police met with councillors, community leaders and youth workers after a number of incidents took place in Marsh Farm and Lewsey Farm in the days following Delaney Brown’s death last Wednesday.
The teenager, of Bank Close, Hockwell Ring, was killed in a collision with a car in Vincent Road, Leagrave.
The following day, hundreds of comments were posted on the Bedfordshire Police Facebook page about incidents on the Marsh Farm estate, with some suggesting they were related to Mr Brown’s death.
They included two reports of people with offensive weapons and anti-social behaviour and vandalism group of youths.
On Friday night police advised staff at Lewsey Sports Park to close early after around 40 youths congregated outside.
People have been urged not to listen to rumours of trouble circulating on social networking sites.
Chief Insp Rob McCaffray said of the investigation into Mr Brown’s death: “The police are doing everything they can to track down those responsible.
“Anyone with information should speak to the police or contact Crimestoppers, anonymously.
“What people must not do is take the law in to their own hands.”
Councillor Tom Shaw, a Lewsey resident, said there had been no trouble over the weekend, and dismissed talk of rivalry between young people on the estates as “rumours”.
A police spokeswoman said yesterday that officers had met with members of Luton’s independent advisory group on Monday night.
“We reassured them in terms of the investigation and incidents that occurred in Marsh Farm,” she said.
“The group meets regularly and we tell them what we have got on record and they tell us what they have heard.
“They can then go back to the community and tell them the facts.”
> An 18-year-old arrested on suspicion of murder on Saturday has been bailed while investigations continue.
A 26-year-old man arrested last week on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving has now been released without charge.