"Club hits out at 'bored' vandals after broad daylight attack"

[dutchman]

Windows were smashed in with a hammer in broad day light at the Wyken Working Men's Club, leaving board members baffled



Members of a working men's club have been left mystified after their venue was targeted in a broad daylight attack.

Vandals attacked 10 windows of the Wyken Working Men's Club on Tuesday afternoon (May 25) with nine windows left completely destroyed.

Board members at the club have been left mystified by the "wanton vandalism", which occurred just after 4pm on the busy Ansty Road.

CCTV footage shows an individual calmly walking up to one of the windows and hitting it with a hammer as traffic goes past behind him.

All together 10 windows were targeted, with nine windows smashed completely.

Andy Peel from the club told CoventryLive : “It’s a mess. They put through all nine lounge windows, both the interior sheet and exterior sheet of double glazing.

"There are also two or three big marks on the largest sheet of glass in the club that is laminated, that didn’t go through but the glass is finished now.

"We opened six or seven days ago, and we have a big bingo session tonight but I don’t know if we will be able to do that because there is glass all over the place.

"It swept the whole width of the room all the way up to the bar, it looks like the windows have exploded inwards across the room.

"We have quite a few people in the lounge when we are open and if it would've happened when we were open, god forbid, the mess people would have been in.

"Police are busy enough without having to put up with this kind of wanton vandalism - I have never seen anything like it.

"I haven’t got a clue why anyone would want to do anything like this - maybe somebody got bored? I don’t know.

"The glazing firm come out last night, Coventry City Glass, and they were absolutely top notch. They were here until 11pm, top, top guys, I’m glad we found them."

Treasurer Rob Goodman says police are looking into it.

"Hopefully we'll be reopened tonight, the backroom will be open but I don't know about the lounge," said Mr Goodman. "I'd love to know why - they must have a reason, but I don't know."

[dutchman]

Working Men's Club windows smashed for a third time



A popular working men's club in Coventry has had its windows smashed for the third time this summer.

Police were called to reports of criminal damage at Wyken Working Men's Club on Ansty Road in the early hours of 29 August.

It is the third time since May the club's windows have been targeted.

A spokesman for West Midlands Police said: "We attended Wyken Working Men’s Club in Coventry following reports of criminal damage at 1.30am on Sunday (29 August).

"Officers responded to the call as a priority and on arrival found some of the windows has been smashed.

"We have looked into two previous incidents of criminal damage at the site and can appreciate how frustrating this is for the owners and members of the club.

"We have provided security advice to the business and officers are conducting CCTV enquiries."

The windows were smashed for the first time in broad daylight at the end of May. The club shared CCTV footage with CoventryLive at the time.

Andy Peel from the club said at the time: "Police are busy enough without having to put up with this kind of wanton vandalism - I have never seen anything like it.

"I haven’t got a clue why anyone would want to do anything like this - maybe somebody got bored? I don’t know."

Then the club was targeted again in July, around 5 weeks later, this time the individual coming at night time, taking specific care not to be seen on CCTV.

Club treasurer Rob Goodman told CoventryLive at the time: "They've done all the lounge windows bar one, so nine windows. The other windows, that's where the CCTV camera is and they haven't gone near that.

"So it's got to be the same people that's done it, they haven't gone near the front door either because they know there is camera facing out from the front door. I'm speaking to police now to try and find who it is.

"It's costing us a hell of a lot of money. The place looks derelict with the boarded up windows, not very inviting at all. We're back to square one now."

[dutchman]

Disgust as Wyken Club's windows smashed again as customers inside watch in disbelief



A Coventry working men's club has had its windows smashed in for a fourth time in less then a year - this time while customers sat enjoying a quiet Sunday afternoon pint.

Wyken Club on Ansty Road was targeted three times last year, with vandals using hammers to smash in the windows in May, July and September, all in the dead of night, all when the club was closed.

After the third time management dipped into the club's coffers and installed shutters on the windows, thwarting the vandals - but only for a while.

Over the weekend, locals were enjoying a Sunday afternoon pint when all of a sudden the windows were smashed in by a vandal with a hammer - resulting in "carnage".

Club treasurer Rob Goodman said: "There was glass everywhere - it fell all over people sat having a drink. I don't know how nobody got injured.

"There was one bit where the really bad damage was - the bloke had just got up to go for a fag, otherwise he'd have copped the lot.

"It was all over in five or six seconds. Some of the locals, people who have been coming here for donkeys years, a lot of them pensioners, they were really shaken up - some were even saying they won't be coming back.

"I couldn't believe it, it looked like carnage, seven of the nine windows done. We had to kick people out and stay closed for the night."

Amid the chaos, the police were called, but according to Rob, they sent a crime number and asked to be sent CCTV of the crime - but did not attend the scene.

Rob said: "What really annoyed me is the police didn't come out. The stewardess rang 999 in a panic. But all they did was send a text with the crime number and said to send any CCTV coverage.

"I was absolutely disgusted with the police not coming out - I understood it the other times not coming out when the building was empty but not when there was actually people inside.

"It's absolutely disgusting the way we've been treated. I have no respect for them any more. I'm amazed nobody got hurt."

West Midlands Police have been approached for comment.

[rebbonk]

I somehow feel that the whole story isn't being told here.

[dutchman]

Police explain why they didn't attend Wyken Club vandalism



A local inspector says police didn't attend the latest attack on a Coventry club which saw pensioners showered with flying glass as they "were dealing with other emergencies".

Wyken Working Men's Club, on Ansty Road, has been attacked by vandals four times in less than a year - the latest incident happening while the club was open this weekend.

On Sunday (March 6) locals enjoying a pint had their afternoon brutally interrupted by someone smashing the windows they sat beneath.

The club called 999, but no officers attended the scene, instead sending a text message asking for CCTV footage.

Club treasurer Rob Goodman called the response "disgusting" and admitted he had lost all respect for the police after how the club was treated.

Addressing the incident and explaining why the police did not attend, Inspector David Langston, from Coventry Police, said: “I’m sorry to hear that the club has been targeted again.

"Thankfully, none of the customers who were inside were injured by the flying glass, but I appreciate how shocked they were by the crime.

“When we were called at 2.43pm on Sunday (March 6), the vandals had already run off and all of our officers were dealing with other emergencies including crimes in progress, injured people and where offenders were still at the scene.

“The club is providing us with CCTV and people in the area are checking their cameras too so that we can stop this.

“If you can help, send us a message via Live Chat on our website west-midlands.police.uk. To stay anonymous and to be in with a chance of receiving a cash reward, call the charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Quote investigation number 20/277049/22.”

[dutchman]

all of our officers were dealing with other emergencies including crimes in progress, injured people and where offenders were still at the scene

None of which were important enough to make the local news apparently?