A West Belfast woman has made an appeal for those behind the vandalising of her mother's home to stop.
Since the weekend, the pensioner's Lenadoon bungalow has been damaged with spray paint, and smashed pieces of mirror left at her property. Returning home from her Tuesday grocery shop, Ciara McCullough says her mum was met with an awful state.
Speaking to Belfast Live, Ciara said others in the community have also reported vandalism of their homes, and she made a plea for the trouble to stop.
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"My mummy is in her 70s, lives alone and recovering from a stroke," Ciara added.
"She was at her back door and she had heard talking but didn't realise they were in the garden. She then heard a smash and thought it was her bedroom window, so went round and saw that they had smashed a mirror that she had out her back. It was smashed on the ground and they had run away.
"On a Tuesday she would go out and get her shopping, so yesterday she did. When she came back she noticed that there was spray paint on her bedroom windowsill, her bedroom window frame, her bathroom window and the sill. They had also sprayed over signed she had on the wall.
"Her hose was also spray painted over. They also then sprayed an inappropriate image on my mummy's wall. We are afraid in case her window is smashed or that they come back."
Ciara says they had put an awareness post on a community group on social media, and others in the area had said they were subject to similar vandalism.
It has been reported that it is young teenage girls and boys who are responsible for the damage, with police now involved,
"The community is very close and a few people had said another girl's wall was spray painted with silver paint," Ciara added.
"Whoever it is, they need to realise that they don't know what goes on behind closed doors, inside someone's home. My mummy is old, and she is vulnerable. They may think it is something silly, and laugh it off, but it is causing an awful lot of stress and upset to my mummy.
"We'll clean it up, but I have to say, we have had loads of offers from the local community, and people we don't even know, to come up and help us. That is just so kind and we are appreciative of those offers. We just want this to stop."
A PSNI spokesperson told Belfast Live: "Police received a report of criminal damage in the Rinnalea Close area of west Belfast. It is believed that the house was spray painted and several items were smashed some time over the weekend.
"Enquiries are ongoing and anyone with any information should call Police on 101 quoting reference 800 02/11/22."
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