Break-ins at listed building 'demoralising'

1 hour ago

News image — Gibside's general manager said there had been 30 attacks and break-ins in a year

John Millar A grand, stone Greek-style building with four pillars at the front. There are large archways at the front and two staircases on either side of the entrance. On top of the roof are five stone sculptures which look like large urns. There is a patch of grass in front of the building and trees surrounding it. The sun is casting shadows of the trees on the grass and the sky is bright blue. — Gibside's general manager said there had been 30 attacks and break-ins in a year

The charity that runs a Grade I listed park and gardens hit by 30 crimes in the past year has described the repeated attacks as "extremely demoralising".

Two separate night-time break-ins took place at Gibside in Gateshead on 30 July and again on 1 August, resulting in the cafe having to temporarily close and damage to parts of the National Trust site.

General manager Eric Wilton said vandalism over the previous 12 months had included damage to play equipment and overnight campers setting fire to the gardens and burning deckchairs.

Northumbria Police said it was investigating and asked for witnesses to come forward.

Wilton said he had seen an increase in after-hours anti-social behaviour at the site.

As a result, the trust has increased security patrols and installed more CCTV.

"Repeatedly arriving at work to find scenes of vandalism and destruction, then having to spend time cleaning up the aftermath and dealing with the police, is extremely demoralising," Wilton said.

"As a charity, the cost of replacing items and repairing damage, not to mention income lost through needing to temporarily close our cafes, has hit us hard."

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