VANDALS IN DUNEDIN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23850, 28 December 1940, Page 6

VANDALS IN DUNEDIN

SCOUTS' HALL DAMAGE i [by telegraph—own correspondent] DUNEDIN, Friday Vandals recently caused havoc in the new hall of the Ocean Beach Boy Scout Troop at St. Kilda. Breaking into the hall through a back window, they caused damage amounting to many pounds and defaced a portrait of the King and the troop's flag. Following on the destruction by fire of the troop's former hall, this latest act is discouraging to the scouts and to the energetic committee which has done so much in the interests of the boys. The destruction wrought in the hall was almost indescribable. All the cupboards were forced open, and such contents as tea, sugar and biscuits were scattered over the floor. The troop's library was similarly treated, and scores of books were thrown across the hall. The vandals evidently found a tin of red paint in one of the cupboards, and with this they painted the glass covering the portrait of King George and smeared the flag with red. Then in big letters across the comparatively new floor they painted the inscription: "The raiders have come and gone." Other reference to raiders was also found on the floor. It was evident that the vandalism was not done by young children, for the painted words were too well carried out to have been done by children.