Vandalism ‘brainless’

BY: ROSE STIRLING

Volunteers at a Dargaville historical machinery club are calling the burglary and vandalism of their administration and display rooms a brainless act.

Kaipara Vintage Machinery Club member and security officer Merv Hilliam says he was shocked to find the rooms vandalised.

"This is a community project and all this is done by volunteer labour so when this happens, it is most sad for the club."

Mr Hilliam was checking the site a week ago, when he noticed the front entranceway to the admin block had been forced open, leaving the wire frame of the door twisted.

He then discovered the observation windows looking over the display room had been smashed.

Vandals had also smeared tubes of workers’ glue over another window and inside toilet seats yet to be fitted.

Club president Bruce Galloway says it’s just a "bloody brainless act".

Mr Galloway says only an icecream container, a hammer and nail gun cannisters were missing.

It is the third time the club has been the victim of crime in the last eight months, previously, the display wool-shed had been broken into, but nothing was stolen.

He says when police arrived at the scene they were unable to find any fingerprints.

Mr Galloway and Mr Hilliam both believe the culprits were probably teenagers fooling around.

But they want to make sure these people get the message that the next time they try something like this they will be caught.

The club is still in the process of completing a large building project to house and display its historical machinery.

"We’ll increase security in here sooner, rather than later. We had planned to install cameras on the project’s completion but now that will be done as soon as possible."

- © Fairfax NZ News