Vandals target the town centre (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Vandals target the town centre

One of the advertisement displays vandalised Picture Ref: 99149-11VANDALS have again left a trail of destruction in Swindon's town centre.

Telephone kiosks in The Parade and Regent Street night were smashed and the glass broken on Adshel units, which display scrolling advertisements.

One of the smashed Adshel units is outside the HMV store and in the same spot an interactive internet connection, known as iplus, was also vandalised.

Town centre manager Bernie Maguire told the Advertiser that the incidents happened in the early hours of Saturday morning.

He said: "It was all picked up by closed circuit television at the Brunel Centre.

"The culprits are on CCTV and police are investigating."

Mr Maguire is in no doubt about the underlying cause for town centre vandalism.

He said: "It's one of those things. People have too much to drink and then they think they can just break things.

"It's just people who have had too much to drink and can't control their emotions."

"It's mostly weekends that this happens. We occasionally get shop windows broken, always at weekends.

"I don't know what can be done but perhaps we should try to educate these people.

"They think it's fun but it's a cost for everyone."

"If people did it to pub windows the price of beer would go up. That's the analogy people should bear in mind."

He pointed out that vandalism is something we all end up paying for. He said: "Somebody has to pay for this and at the end of the day it is the same people who pay.

"We all pay extra in council tax and insurance premiums rise because of people causing damage.

"Even if they are on benefit their parents and grandparents will be paying council tax."

Police spokeswoman Alvina Kumar said that on the same night, shortly after midnight, there was damage to a display board belong to Swindon Council in Regent Street.

She said: "The damage is believed to have been caused by a group of youngsters in their late teens.

"Officers will be viewing CCTV footage."

Swindon police are appealing for witnesses. Anybody who saw anything suspicious in that area on Friday night should contact police on 01793 528111 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Dave Andrew