Second raid in a week at Halesowen pensioners' centre
Vandals have attacked a pensioners' day centre in the Black Country – making it the second raid to take place at the site within a week.
In the first incident, cash was stolen.
Around £3,000 of damage has been caused at the Age Concern Day Centre, in Halesowen, in the latest raid. Yobs ripped off locks to steal a power washer and battery chargers for the centre's minibus used to transport pensioners around. They also managed to force their way onto the minibus to turn on the radio, which drained the battery. It is hoped the vehicle will be back on the road soon.
Volunteers have called in help from a nearby garage.
It is the second time in around seven days that the centre, in Green Lane, has been targeted.
Intruders burst into the centre itself, which serves meals for 40 pensioners aged from 65 to 100 each day, on August 19, stealing cash, raffle prizes and causing £6,000 of damage.
Food bought to cook meals was also taken from fridges and freezers by thieves who then urinated on any they could not carry.
Centre director and Halesowen Councillor Ken Turner today described their actions as 'sickening' and vowed to tighten security further.
New alarm and CCTV systems were installed at the centre which reopened last Thursday after being shut for three days.
But Councillor Turner says cameras will also be trained on all entrances at the centre in a bid to capture any yobs in action.
Police are investigating the latest attack which happened sometime between Friday evening and yesterday morning when volunteers opened up.
"This is sickening to happen again for the second time in a few days," he said. "I'm absolutely fed up with having to deal with this.
"We won't be beaten and we are going to bring in even more security to ensure we capture them if they try this again.
"The minibus is needed to get people here to the centre every day.
"We couldn't believe they would try something like this again.
"I'm pleased that with the extra security they didn't try to get in the main centre itself but now we will get cameras to extend their coverage across the whole area.
Vandals also damaged some wheelchairs stored in the sheds. Councillor Turner said the community had offered support to the centre and some guests had been invited for lunch today to thank them.
