BY MARK McKELVEY

AN Omagh family has appealed for an end to the harassment they have endured since the turn of the year, with their car being severely vandalised on six separate occasions.

The Fenton family has been supplied this vehicle through the Disability Living Allowance (DLA), as it is essential for their 12-year-old son Robert who is mentally handicapped and suffers from diabetes.

Speaking this week, John Fenton from the Deverney Park area of Omagh explained the extensive damage caused to his car with every panel scraped which is costing up to £1000 to repair, and how those responsible are following him to carry out this criminal destruction.

"My car has been scraped on six separate occasions, they even followed me to the hospital one day and scraped it, they have also followed me to my father's house at Laragh View in Beragh and scraped it there twice," stated John.

"This happened once before but we passed no remarks, but it has got now that they are at the car two or three times a week, scraping every panel of the car."

John commented that this has gone beyond a joke and is bewildered as to why this is happening.

"Someone seems to have a vendetta with us when we have done nothing, and are destroying this car for no apparent reason," stated John. "It is the lowest of the low that would stoop so low, if you have a disagreement with somebody you don't come and take it out on their car."

He continued "We can find no reason for this unless it is someone that has applied for a DLA car and can't get one and are taking it out on us. We don't interfere with anybody, but everyone that has heard what is happening to us has condemned those doing this as scum for interfering with someone that is handicapped.

"This is getting beyond a joke, we are putting out an appeal for this to stop, and ask whoever is doing this to come to us and tell us why instead of taking it out on my son's car, as we are doing no harm to anybody.

Omagh Town UUP Councillor Ross Hussey has condemned this wanton attack of mindless violence against a disabled child as totally unacceptable.

"Who in their right mind would even consider such an act?" asked Cllr Hussey. "Antisocial behaviour of this type should automatically result in a jail sentence and I urge any of the residents of the area with any knowledge of the mindless thugs who carried out these attacks to report the matter to the police in Omagh."