CARDIFF: Vandalised club 'will remain shut’

Vandalised club 'will remain shut’


A TROUBLED youth club will not reopen after yobs broke in and exploded an animal in the microwave.

Tongwynlais Youth Club in Cardiff was sabotaged by vandals after yobs broke in and cooked an animal, believed to be a rat or squirrel, in August.

Now the Merthyr Road facility will not reopen its doors after a series of vandal attacks.

Before the microwave incident, the youth club had been closed for a year because it was repeatedly targeted, but residents had clubbed together to refurbish it and hoped it would reopen this autumn.

Cardiff council has now agreed to provide alternative facilities for the village.

Ward councillor Linda Morgan said the villagers were still disgusted by August’s incident and hoped the culprits could still be caught.

She said: “After the tragedy of the squirrel people were so shocked that they said they volunteered to help us get the youth centre ready again.
“We are disappointed about not using it anymore but as long as the youth of Tongwynlais benefit, that’s the main thing.”

From tomorrow volunteers and council-funded workers will staff a weekly Tuesday evening youth club for year five and six pupils at the Tanyard Day Centre, Queen Street, Tongwynlais. Trained street-based youth workers will also provide services for teenagers and other facilities, such as a special youth services bus, could be provided in the area in the future.

The Merthyr Road youth club remains disused, but Tongwynlais Village Hall Committee is consulting with other village groups which could utilise it. Since the microwave attack in July, vandals have continued to target the site by climbing on the roof and making holes in the ceiling.
Committee chairman Coun Morgan said a £15,000 grant had now been secured to erect protective fencing around the building.

She said: “The police have told us they are still investigating the vandal attack on the youth centre and are hopeful they will be able to proceed to interviews.
“We are a very close-knit community here and we were all shocked by what happened. But we do need to move on and encourage children to work with us in order to make sure we don’t have any more problems.”

http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/southwalesecho/news/tm_headline=vandalised-club-8217-will-remain-shut-8217&method=full&objectid=19865538&siteid=50082-name_page.html