Vandals target seniors

By Tania Martin
MONBULK Senior Citizens want graffiti vandals brought to justice after their hall was damaged.
The right side of the hall in Moores Road has been defaced with graffiti and holes were punched in the walls.
President Mavis Matthews said the seniors want the vandals caught and would like to have the satisfaction of watching them wash the walls.
Sergeant Alan Fincher from Monbulk police said the seniors hall is not the only place that has been damaged in the past week.
He said several office walls in the main street were also defaced.
Sgt Fincher said the police are calling for anyone who may know anything to come forward.
He said the graffiti and vandalism was very disappointing to see especially as a lot of work has gone into keeping the town as tidy as possible.
“The chances are that it is someone local doing this and it is disappointing that they are prepared to do that to their own town,” he said.
Ms Matthews said the graffiti and vandalism problems could be averted at the seniors hall if a security light was installed on the right-hand side of the building.
“We have a light on the left side and that doesn’t get damaged,” she said.
Ms Matthews is also concerned about the hall being burnt down.
She said the seniors found a pile of rubbish stacked up against the building and believes that whoever vandalised the hall intended to start a fire.
“We don’t know if we are going to get a call one night to say the hall’s on fire,” she said.
Ms Matthews said the seniors are fed up with the vandalism of the hall and want something to be done to stop it from happening.
“We are old people and we are not harming anyone and we just want to be able to come here (the hall) and enjoy our Tuesdays,” she said.
“But we come here and see this wilful damage and it breaks our hearts.”
Sgt Fincher is urging anyone who may recognise the graffiti tag to contact police on 9756 6266.