A car garage in Scotland is facing thousands of pounds of repair work after being targeted by vandals twice in the past month.
John Corry Motors, which is located in the Foundry Street Industrial area, was first the victim of an attack on 30 July, with vandals smashing the mirrors and windscreens of seven vehicles. In this instance two of the cars, which belonged to customers who had left them at the garage while waiting for repairs, were so badly damaged that they had to be written off.
On Thursday (13 August) a second incident took place, with a lorry's windows smashed and a fire extinguisher let off inside another car. In total, the garage owner Trevor Aston estimates that the vandals have caused around £7,000 of damage.
A motor trade insurance policy is designed for situations like this - it will insure a business' assets, including the vehicles its stores on site, in case they are maliciously damaged or stolen. This will mean that the business does not have to foot the bill to repair or replace the items, which can be so costly that a garage or dealership is forced to close down.
Mr Aston believes the vandalism is the result of young people drinking at Hoy’s Meadow and under the Northway bridge, the Portadown Times reported. He said: “We have been in these premises in Foundry Street Industrial area for years and there have been sporadic incidents but the anti-social behaviour in the area and the damage is definitely getting worse.”
Other businesses on the industrial estate have also been targeted. Police have said they examining CCTV footage to try and find the culprits.
