The owners of a Scottish after-school club have been left sickened after two of their minibuses were smashed up by vandals within a fortnight. Clydesdale After School Care, based in Coatbridge, have had their vital vehicles attacked within two weeks, forcing them to use contractors to deliver services to the community.
In one astonishing incident on the evening of Friday, September 2, youths were captured on film battering one minibus with hammers in a leisure centre car park. After police advised them to park their vehicles on the street, rather than continuing to use the car park, their fleet was targeted again.
At some point over the following weekend, another bus was targeted, with its windows smashed in by unknown yobs. It is not believed that the two attacks are linked.
The firm, who look after more than 100 schoolkids in Lanarkshire every day, have been forced to cough up for repairs and to hire buses from private contractors. Michelle Deakin, the company director, said the "ridiculous" crimes had cost the company roughly £1,000.
Michelle, 42, who runs the firm with husband David, said: "When the first bus was damaged, we got a phone call about 9.15pm from the police to say that our minibus had been vandalised in Coatbridge, at the Time Capsule, where we operate from. The buses are parked there overnight.
"A neighbour shared a video that they had, of two youths smashing up the bus with a hammer. It was just craziness to see it, ridiculous. They smashed up the minibus with a hammer - the windscreen, two side panel windows, and the wing mirrors. The whole mechanism of the wing mirrors were smashed off, so we need to replace them."
Michelle said the insurance excess on the first vehicle ran into hundreds of pounds. As they are owned by the firm, which also operates clubs in Motherwell and Wishaw, the insurance and damage is their responsibility.
She continued: "The police instructed us to try and park on main roads and not in the Time Capsule car park. The Time Capsule was actually still open at the time. So, we parked the second van that was vandalised on Dundyvan Road; the police advised that so it wasn't accessible in dark areas.
"Then, we turned up there on Monday and a side panel had been smashed, an actual window this time rather than the windscreen. It happened on the main road side as well, so it wasn't as if it was someone walking up the path."
Michelle said the police don't think the incidents are connected. A North Lanarkshire Council spokesperson today urged anyone with information to contact the police, saying they were "outraged" at the "mindless acts".
"Obviously it has a detrimental effect on our business; that one bus picks up 15 children each day," Michelle said. "In Coatbridge alone we look after up to 60 primary school children per day, aged between four and 12, from 12 different schools.
"We've got three vehicles in Coatbridge, so two out of the three have been smashed. So, we've had to get a contractor in last week because they are out of use.
"One of the main things is, though, we've had to change the continuity for those kids. They're used to getting on that bus, they recognise the bus, so with it being another vehicle it has an impact on them, especially the children in primary one.
"They've just started school so it gives them something to recognise when they see the bus, so that's changed for them, and some of them are only four. With Covid, they are just getting back into that routine, the new normal, so it's just another setback for them."
As well as the Coatbridge site, the club also looks after children in Motherwell at Hayhurst High School and Wishaw Sports Centre, having been founded in 2004. There are six staff in Coatbridge, along with Michelle and husband David, 45, as directors. In total there's up to 150 children looked after by the clubs at any one time.
Michelle and David tried earlier this week to find a secure location to keep their buses overnight, but have so far been unsuccessful. They are also mindful of additional cost of storage.
"I think with the first bus, it was opportunism, youths coming out of the sports centre, but whey they would have hammers, I don't know," said Michelle. "With the second one, I don't know if it's where it's been parked or what.
"The cost isn't something we want to deal with, obviously, but it's also the inconvenience of finding other vehicles to travel safely, then the time to get the repairs done.
"One of them has a temporary repair, but the first one damaged had to be taken off the fleet, so that's another £250 for the hire of the bus. All in it's probably cost us about £1,000.
"We've not had any update from the police so far, but with the ages of the youths it seems to us there probably won't be an outcome, and that's if they catch them.
"From what I gather, youths had been causing a bit of bother that night already. And we know the police are stretched as they are, and have been helpful. We just want an outcome and for it to stop, no more inconvenience."
A North Lanarkshire spokesperson said: “We are outraged at these mindless acts of vandalism against the vehicles, of an organisation which does so much to help people in our communities. We would urge anyone with information to contact Police Scotland.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson said they were not aware of the incidents.
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here.
READ MORE:
- Scots cop killer back in jail after successful police manhunt amid parole breach
Widow of murdered aid worker David Haines still sees husband 'in daughter's eyes'
Girls 'stripped of dignity' at Scots school after having to ask staff for period products
- Mourners queuing to view Queen's coffin sees strangers from across the globe become friends in Edinburgh
- Creepy prowlers caught stealing motorbike on garden camera
