A Strabane scout leader has urged the culprits who have repeatedly targeted their centre to 'leave them alone' and let them channel their funds towards the children rather than on replacing windows.
Speaking to the 'Journal' yesterday Majella McCallion, leader of Strabane Scouts said that she had no grudge to bear against those who have repeatedly vandalised the scouts 'Den' on the Melmount Road but she urged them to stop.
The culprits smashe
d four windows with traffic cones and blocks between 10.30pm and 11.30am on Sunday morning last.
Mrs McCallion said: "I am not looking to give out to these young people, I just want them to leave us alone. I don't believe we have an enemy out there, I just think it's young people engaging in anti-social behaviour and up to badness when they get a few jars in them," she said.
Mrs McCallion said that this was the second time in the past year that their windows have been broken and needed replaced.
"Everytime these windows are broken we have to use the money that we have fundraised to take the children away on trips to pay for the replacements. It's not fair that they have to suffer as a result of these vandals," he said.
She continued: "We are now taking new security measures by putting metal grids on the windows but it will take time before we have raised the money to pay for them. We will probably have to use the money that we had set aside for a jamboree in Punchestown to pay for the grids in case they come back next weekend and then replace it further down the line," she said.
The local Parish Priest, Father Michael Doherty has visited the Den, which is owned by Melmount Parish but has been leased to the scouts for the next 25 years.
"The priest has offered us his help but without funding to replace the windows there is little anybody can do," Mrs McCallion said.
The full article contains 345 words and appears in Journal Tuesday Derry Edit newspaper.
