A popular group for teenagers has vowed it will not let the vandals who smashed windows and went on the rampage inside their hall win.
The Vista Crew, which caters for young people aged 11 years and over, wants everyone to know its doors are still open, despite the havoc wreaked by a gang who left behind drink cans, evidence of drugs and a large pool of blood when they broke into the St Nicolas Church Hall earlier this month.
The group holds a drop-in session at the hall – commonly known as The Vista – for teenagers every other Saturday morning and organises a number of events throughout the year to raise money and have fun.
Volunteer Cath Gibson said: “We offer young people a safe place to ‘hang out’, we have a number of activities such as music practice, pool, games, Wii, badminton etc and it’s free for the young people to come.
“Since the vandalism a couple of weeks ago we’ve had a few people asking if we are still open due to the vandalism.
“I just want everyone to know that we are definitely still open and that despite this people are still working hard for the community.”
The Vista Crew has been running for a number of years and has raised more than £1,500 for charities such as Help For Heroes, Cancer Research, S.O.P.H.I.E. the Alzheimer’s Society and Cystic Fibrosis.
This weekend the group is hosting its VistaFest4 event and taking part in a three- mile fun run to raise money for the Multiple Sclerosis Society.
The vandal attack on the St Nicolas Hall was discovered by a church official on Saturday, April 12.
All of the glass in the front doors had been smashed, with evidence of them being kicked and bricks thrown through them.
It was a similar picture round the back of the hall, where crockery from inside had also been smashed on the ground.
There was also a number of drinks cans and drug wrappers, as well as a large pool of blood on the steps and a trail leading away into the town centre, which suggested one of the vandals had suffered a quite serious injury.
The hall’s first aid kit had also been opened and bandages removed.
The church official said: “It is such a shame as one of the main reasons the Vista Crew was set up was to give the young people something to do rather than hang around on the steps.
“It was just wanton vandalism which costs us a lot to clean up.”
