Hospice hit by vandal attacks (From The Advertiser Series)

Hospice hit by vandal attacks

12:00pm Thursday 9th July 2009

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STAFF at the Butterwick Hospice in Bishop Auckland are counting the cost of a spate of attacks by vandals.

Four boys aged 11 and 12 were arrested last Friday night after a fundraiser who was working late called police when she heard people climbing onto the roof of the building in Woodhouse Lane.

A skylight was smashed, but nobody broke in.

People living in the area have also reported seeing groups of young people hanging around the hospice grounds in recent weeks, although nobody has broken into the building itself.

Managers are now looking at ways of stepping up security without diverting funds from patient care.

They have already spent £7,000 removing lead from the roof to deter thieves.

Hospice spokeswoman Jackie Leighton said: “We are in a difficult position because the last thing we want is to spend money that should be spent on the patients, but we are very worried about the safely of the building. We rely on donations from people in the south Durham area and we can’t afford to pay a lot of money on security. All the money should be going directly into patient care.

“We received government money to improve the garden and the building, but we have to be extremely careful with money in these difficult times and are cutting costs where we can. There is nothing to take here, there are no drugs kept in the building at all and nothing worth stealing.

“It is a lovely building and very important to the people who come here, so we can’t bear the thought of anybody causing damage.

“The neighbours call police and chase people away when they see them, but we can’t expect them to challenge these people.

“We are also worried about the young people hurting themselves.”

A spokesman for Bishop Auckland police said that four boys had been arrested on suspicion of causing criminal damage and released on bail.

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