Community centre in Peterborough targeted by vandals over six nights
Centre leaders have now employed private security at the building
Vandals have attacked a community centre in Peterborough on six consecutive nights – smashing 17 windows.
Fleet Community Centre, was first targeted by the masked vandals on March 16, with stones and bricks thrown – causing up to £6,000 worth of damage.
In one case, a Zumba class was being held inside when windows were hit – with the offenders being caught on CCTV.
The centre, situated in Fleet Way, is owned by Peterborough City Council (PCC) , but leased by the Italian Community Association Peterborough.
Centre manager Isabella Caruso said: “We’ve had 17 windows smashed now. These people keep coming back. On CCTV we can see them arriving on electric scooters at different times, 7pm and 8pm in the evenings and even 1.15am.
“They look like teenagers to me, and one of them even looked possibly female. There were two showing up at first, and later they came back with a third person.”
Ms Caruso said she has been leaving the lights on until the early hours, but it has not stopped them.
She added: “In 25 years of being here, I have never seen anything like this before.”
Thankfully with all the windows being laminated, none of the stones or bricks have made it into the building.
However, with ongoing safety concerns, the association has now employed a private security guard for the site.
The local community have reached out to the association with offers of help since the attacks.
"The community spirit has been brilliant since the attacks, Ms Caruso said. “We’ve had texts and emails from people asking if there’s anything they can do.”
“I have seen lots of bricks and rubble in gardens along High Street and Kings Road, so I would ask for people to clear these away as I believe this is where the offenders are picking them up from.”
A spokesperson for PCC said: "We are aware of incidents at the Fleet Community Centre and are currently supporting the building's tenants who have responsibility for any repair work.
We have also made suggestions regarding security of the centre."
We have approached Cambridgeshire Constabulary for a comment.