Plea to stop vandals after wrecking spree

Fed up Wednesbury residents are calling for help as vandalism continues in the town.

In the past two weeks, thugs have trashed a half-finished playground, smashed car windows and pushed down a brick wall which conceals a steep railway embankment.

Now people living in Churchfields Road say they are sick and tired after yobs fired a pellet gun at a glass porch door, causing it to crack, and smashed up a wooden fence with bricks. "No one's very happy about it," said 62-year-old truck driver Michael Haywood.

"If you go out and confront them you get a mouthful, you get told where to go or they just say 'it wasn't me'.

"The police have come out and say they are keeping an eye on it all but just recently it's got really bad."

This latest attack follows a week of destruction. Last Friday a gang of thugs went on a rampage through Pound Road and the surrounding areas, smashing car windows and knocking down a brick wall.

An overnight wrecking spree saw windows smashed on vehicles parked in Pound Road.

Three vehicles were targeted by the vandals, causing hundreds of pounds worth of damage.

Just one day later a gang of around 12 youngsters were seen pushing over a brick wall which blocked off a dangerous railway embankment. Wednesbury councillor Bill Archer said: "It's got too much, something needs to be done. The parents of the kids will say it's because there's nothing else for them to do so maybe but we've got a lot of investment going into our parks at the moment." He added: "The pellet gun is very bad, there's a crack in the glass which needs to be repaired now."

Anyone with information can call police at Wednesbury on 0845 113 5000 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.