Facebook page shut down after police condemnation

The Hedland Neighbourhood Watch Facebook page has been shut down by the administrators.

The closure comes just a week after local officers condemned vigilante-type discussion on the page.

Senior Sergeant Mick Hayes said police were not involved in closing down the page, despite officers being involved in the administration of the former page.

"We didn't shut it down, the administrators did, because there were too many knuckleheads on it. We don't have the power to shut things down like that," he said.

"It was decided none of the administrators wanted to run the site, they weren't arbitrating and didn't have any interest in the site, so they decided to shut it down.

"We tolerated it on the basis that they were making comments supporting police and working for the betterment of the community, but it degenerated into a pig swill."

Sen. Sgt Hayes said police weren't out to censor or sanction any pages on Facebook, but thought shutting the page down was "the best thing they could've done".

"I don't see a positive for any community to have that sort of mentality being brought out by the few, and it's not everyone - there were some very nice comments - but they were just being overridden by the ill-informed and bigoted," he said.