Wigan community centre targeted by vandals spends more than £2,000 on repairs

Staff and volunteers at Sunshine House in Scholes are committed to making a difference – but their efforts have been hindered in recent months by numerous incidents of vandalism.

People have been climbing onto the roof of the building, sometimes three or four times a week, and causing a lot of damage.

The most recent incident cost £600 to repair, which took the total bill past £2,000 for work on the roof of the building.

They have also been going onto a bowling green at the back of the centre’s annexe to cause trouble.

Centre manager Liz Heaton said: “It has been going on for about six months. The last six weeks have been consistent. They are always going on the roof at weekends and in the week.

"The coping stones on the top are being knocked off and they are kicking them down. They are taking the tiles off the roof and kicking them about too.

"We are getting a lot of leaks in the building.”

While the centre has been able to continue its usual activities, there has been damage to both the inside and outside of the building on Wellington Street.

At the weekend, tiles were taken off the roof and smashed, with rain pouring through and ruining ceiling tiles, which cost £600 to repair.

Mrs Heaton said it was “a strain and stressful” for the team and the financial cost was having an impact.

"The money could be spent on serving the community, but we are having to spend it on repairs,” she said.

"It’s coming out of our budget and what we could use to do things for the community.”

Police have been informed of the vandalism and people are being urged to come forward if they know who is responsible, particularly if they see someone with black paint on their hands or clothes.

Mrs Heaton said: “We think that people will know who is doing this. We could work with these people and find things for them to do in the centre, rather than having them do this.”

Anyone with information about the vandalism is asked to call police on 101.