Kampala — SOUTHERN regional police commander Andrew Sorowen has closed two petrol stations which did not have security guards, a welding plant which was close to a petrol station and a pool table joint in Kidda trading centre near Masaka municipality.

He also closed several video halls within Masaka town where he found children of school-going age watching films at the time when they would be in class.

Sorowen said he closed the petrol stations because robbers in the region mainly targeted petrol stations which did not have security guards.

"In only four months, we have lost three pump attendants in the region when they were attacked by robbers and these stations could not be defended because they did not have security guards," he said adding that one of the attendants was even raped in Kinoni before she was murdered.

A manager of a filling station in Mateete trading centre was shot dead but no money was taken and another pump attendant was killed in Sembabule and unidentified sum of money was robbed, the police chief said.

"The same group of armed robbers attacked another fuel station at Misanvu in Kibinge sub-county in Masaka district, shot into the air to scare away the rescuers and robbed millions of shillings although they did not kill anyone," Sorowen said.

He stressed he would not allow such incidences to continue in his area and warned that he would continue closing petrol stations which do not have security guards as well as the pool table joints where the youths start playing the game in the morning and other threats to security.

Sorowen said he closed the welding plant because it was near Kidda Libra station following fears that it would cause a fire.

He said the Constitution allowed him to close everything he believed was a threat to security and asked the proprietors of the two petrol stations to hire security guards and take them to his office before allowing them to reopen.

Addressing the residents of Kidda trading centre, Sorowen said the Police was more focused on preventing crime than fighting it and this was the reason why he went to meet them in their localities.

"We are now moving village to village but soon we shall start moving house- to-house incorporating you, the civilians to help us stop all criminal activities," he said.

He identified house breaking, phone theft and forging money as some of the criminal acts on the rise in Rakai, Sembabule, Lyantonde and Kalangala districts.

He cautioned passengers against allowing taxi drivers to over load them and drive recklessly.

Sorowen was accompanied by other officers.