Vandals left a trail of destruction in their wake after a late night spree which saw windows smashed and laundry strewn across verges.
Loose bricks from the demolished Bull and Monkie site were thrown through windows at the St Nicolas Hall and tablecloths from a laundry basket outside Crystal Inn restaurant were scattered along the riverbank in Church Gate at about 11.30pm on Sunday.
Vicar of St Mary and St Nicolas Church the Rev John Bennett said the vandalism was “frustrating” and signalled a return of problems which had appeared to die down since a police operation last summer.
He said: “The bricks from the Bull and Monkie were used to smash five large panes of glass in the hall’s entrance and some smaller ones around the side.
“The estimated cost is about £1,100, which is covered by insurance except for a £250 excess.
“This is not the first time this has happened and the cost of the excess each time still adds up.
“It’s very annoying and frustrating as the problems of vandalism have been quiet for quite a while and we haven’t really had too many problems over the winter apart from the occasional bit of mess.
“I believe there has been a joint agency meeting to look at police reintroducing the dispersal orders that were put in place last summer to stop groups gathering in the area. I haven’t heard the outcome of that, but the problems do seem to be at their worst when the weather is warmer.”
Rev Bennett said the poor state of the former Bull and Monkie site does add to the problems of anti-social behaviour around the church and the hall.
He said if the site was redeveloped it would most likely increase the number of people in the area and deter those who seek out deserted areas to congregate.
He said: “Something being done with that site would be jolly good news all round.”
Insp Jim Tyner, community policing inspector, said patrols are regularly carried out in the Church Gate area.
Anyone with information should call police on 101, quoting incident 48 of February 23.
