Lindsay Stevenson says he hopes the six holes left in the club's windows will result in more protection for the club. Photo / Finn Williams
Lindsay Stevenson says he hopes the six holes left in the club's windows will result in more protection for the club. Photo / Finn Williams
Sailing Wanganui says its club needs more protection against vandalism after what looked like bullet holes were found in several of its windows on Wednesday.
The police say they are investigating a report of "window damage" at the clubhouse, with the inquiry in its very early stages.
The sailingclub's captain, Lindsay Stevenson, said there were a total of six small holes in the windows that look just like bullet holes, but no bullet shells were found inside or around the building.
He said they were told of the damage on Wednesday afternoon.
No one was in the building at the time the damage occurred, but Stevenson said the club has sustained a lot of vandalism in recent times.
"We've had a lot of trouble here over the past couple years ... we've had burglaries, break-ins, our security cameras have been stolen off the building."
Stevenson said the maintenance cost to repair the vandalism caused to the building was unsustainable for Sailing Wanganui.
Four holes were left in a second-storey window of the clubhouse, with one hole in a neighbouring window, and a final hole in a ground floor window.
Stevenson did not know how much it would cost to replace the damaged windows, but as two were on the second storey, he thought they would have to bring in scaffolding.
Damage to Sailing Wanganui clubroom's windows appear to be bullet holes. Photo / Finn Williams
The grounds around the club have also been regularly vandalised, according to Stevenson.
People had tagged the clubhouse with graffiti and raced their cars along the riverbed, which is a wildlife sanctuary, Stevenson said.
As well as the vandalism, Stevenson also said he has found broken bottles in the grass outside the club, and used needles next to the shed where the club stores its boats.
Stevenson said he hoped the recent damage would spur the Whanganui District Council, which owns the land the building is on, into helping protect the club and preserve the land.
He wants to have the gate next to the clubhouse, which allows vehicles access to the land next to the clubhouse, closed.
He said closing the gate won't restrict access to the public walkway that runs along the river, but it should stop further vandalism while also keeping people who use the walkway safe.
"It's not safe for the public as well, with these goons tearing around with rifles in their vehicles, it's not a safe place anymore."
