Police appeal after vandals trash flat

Hamish Hutchinson • Published 14 Apr 2010 10:27

VANDALS have trashed an Alloa flat causing over £10,000 worth of damage to the Ochil View Housing Association property.

The block of flats in Bowhouse Gardens has also had paint splattered on the outside, graffiti written on the boarded up windows of the flat and on external and internal doors.

Last week police appealed for information after the paint was discovered on the external walls of various properties in Bowhouse Gardens and then between Thursday 1 April at 11am and 2pm on Thursday 6 April extensive damage was caused to the flat, which had only just had repair work carried out on it by Ochil View Housing Association.

Residents, including young families who live in the block, now say they are fearful for their safety and further attacks on the property, and have handed in a petition to Ochil View Housing Association raising concerns about the flat being allocated to a particular individual.

One resident, who lives in the block with her husband, told the Advertiser, "Since this individual came to look at the flat we have had paint all over walls and windows and someone has broken in to the flat causing thousands of pounds worth of damage.

"This block has two families with young children, a single woman, myself and my husband and a single male presently living there.

"There has been a petition raised by the residents of Bowhouse Gardens as a whole against this individual being moved in and although the damage to the flat will delay this there are many concerned about further damage to the property and vehicles in the block.

"There have already been complaints put into Ochil View Housing Association whose response was that there was nothing they could do about it, the flat has been allocated and that's it as far as they are concerned - no sympathy for the residents in the block and surrounding properties which at the moment is one of the quieter parts of the 'bottom end' to live in.

"My husband and I have lived here for two and a half years and haven't experienced anything like it previously. Obviously you do get people drunk late at night but in our experience we have had no worries about leaving our property empty through the night and day."

George Tainsh, director of Ochil View Housing Association, went on, "We had a referral from Clackmannanshire Council under the homeless regulations and as a social landlord legally we have to accept it.

"An individual has been nominated for one of the properties by the council and we have to accept this nomination.

"However, the property assigned to the individual has been trashed and there has probably been in excess of £10,000 worth of damage caused to kitchen units and work tops, sanitary ware, internal doors, radiators which have been pulled off the wall. There was also flooding because a toilet cistern was smashed and a pipe burst.

"The flat, which was unoccupied by the individual concerned, was broken into and we reported this to the police and the matter is now in their hands to find the perpetrator.

"We estimate it will take four to six weeks to repair the damage and it is now in the hands of our insurance company. The property had been repaired and brought up to standard and was ready to let so for someone to do this is extremely disappointing to say the least.

"We house a number of people through Clackmannanshire Council because of a shortage of housing. We have received a petition from tenants raising concerns and that petition is being discussed with the police and the council. The only way an application won't proceed is if the council withdraw the application or the applicant does not accept it."

Mr Tainsh added that contractors had been unable to get the paint and graffiti off the outside of the block and that the block may have to be re-roughcast at considerable expense if a solution cannot be found.

Anyone with information can contact Central Scotland Police on 01786 456000 or information can be given anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

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