Windows smashed, doors broken and Pot Noodle thrown over the walls at Chorley Sheds Project

A community-led craft hub has been ransacked by mindless vandals – leading to money meant for craft work being forced to be spent on repairs and security.
One of the vandalised windows at the Chorley Sheds ProjectOne of the vandalised windows at the Chorley Sheds Project
One of the vandalised windows at the Chorley Sheds Project

The Chorley Sheds Project, next to Chorley Football Club off Duke Street, was targeted by callous criminals where they smashed windows, broke doors and threw paint on the floor.

During the raid, culprits seemingly even took the time to make hot chocolate and a Pot Noodle – only to then throw them on the hub’s walls.

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Sandy Mohamet, from the sheds projects, said: “It seems they have taken the effort to make some hot chocolate up and a Pot Noodle and then thrown it around.

One of the vandalised windows at the Chorley Sheds ProjectOne of the vandalised windows at the Chorley Sheds Project
One of the vandalised windows at the Chorley Sheds Project

“It’s very frustrating. It breaks your heart. We’re really upset but trying to think that it could always have been worse.”

Since the incident, which Sandy believes happened at some time over the August 3 weekend, the community has rallied together to lend a helping hand.

It meant that initial worries over money raised from the Chorley Flower Show being forced to be spent on repairs rather than craft supplies were lessened with the organisation receiving a flurry of good will donations to help manage the situation.

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“Keith McIntosh [from Chorley FC Community Foundation] is a great friend to us and has arranged for a chap to come down and replace the windows that were smashed,” explained 68-year-old Sandy.

Paint thrown on the floorPaint thrown on the floor
Paint thrown on the floor

“Another friend has also arranged for someone to come down on the 30th to install come CCTV free of charge.

“The community has been so great; the people of Chorley are so overwhelmingly kind.”

During the clear up, sheds project volunteers discovered some acetate sheeting with the trespassers names seemingly scrawled across them.

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Sandy said: “They seem to have written their names down on it as a way of saying ‘we were here’.

One of the broken doorsOne of the broken doors
One of the broken doors

“The mentality is unbelievable. It was handed over to the police when they visited.

“These kind of people aren’t going to beat us. It’s the response we get from the community that is helping us get back and will help us keep going.”

Anyone with any information on the incident should contact Lancashire Police on 101 citing log number LC-20190805-0508 or crime reference number 04/141604/19