BY MICHELE CANNING-SMITH
THE NEW Alley Theatre and Arts centre and a Strabane school have this week been the target of window-smashing vandals, who may have been caught on CCTV.
At the Alley, three windows were smashed on the Canal Street side of the building, with the damage being discovered last Thursday morning, May 3. The damage was done during the previous night, and is the second time that the new building has been attacked.
Meanwhile six windows were smashed at the Holy Cross College site at Curly Hill. The damage was discovered yesterday morning, Wednesday May 9. Police said that the damage was caused using stones.
Condemning the attacks, local SDLP councillor Eugene McMenamin described the actions as "mindless hooliganism."
He said, "I was walking through the town centre the other night, and I was thinking to myself 'Wouldn't it be good if we could get shopkeepers and business owners to make a concerted effort to keep their shutters up now during the long evenings,' but with all this happening then there's no way that you'd ask them to.
"99.9% of young people go out to enjoy themselves, but there's still an element who have not copped on to normal existence. I cringe every time I hear of attacks on private property, because the likes of the Alley Theatre is there for the enjoyment of the whole community.
"If the culprits of this are caught, I'd like to think that they'd be made pay for every penny of damage that they've caused. Because at the minute it's the ratepayers who are having to pay it, hundreds of pounds at a time because those are special windows.
"I'm sure there are people who have seen these thugs carrying out this damage, and if they have done then I encourage them to pass on that information because these people need to have the rigours of the law set upon them."
Sinn Fein's Ivan Barr has branded those behind the attack as mindless hooligans who are only attacking their own community.
"This vandalism is a matter of increasing concern not just to the Council but also to the wider community.
"This type of vandalism seems to be visited upon every new development in the town centre. Before this the library was attacked on a number of occasions.
"Those responsible, who knows what goes through their minds. They are nothing other than mindless hooligans.
"I have no reason to believe that a child or a young teenager was responsible. It coincides with people leaving licensed premises.
"The CCTV should contribute to a reduction in vandalism. I hope that those responsible are picked up and easily identified and held to account for their actions.
"I wonder if those behind the vandalism ever stop to consider that it's the ratepayers who are footing the bill for this damage. They, or members of their families, may well be the very ratepayers who are having to contribute to the costs incurred as a result of vandalism.
"This is no encouragement to groups such as Strabane 2000, the Chamber of Commerce, and the community, who are all working together to regenerate the town centre to encourage tourists, shoppers and investors,' added Cllr Barr.
Anyone who can help identify the culprits in either incident is asked to contact local police at Strabane. The number to call with any information is 0845 600 8000, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
