Yobs leave grown men in tears when they smash up model railway exhibition

Shocking pictures show the scale of destruction caused by yobs after they went on the rampage at a model railway exhibition.

Tens of thousands of pounds worth of exhibits were destroyed by the vandals after they broke into a secondary school in the early hours of Saturday.

The act of ‘total wanton destruction’ left ‘grown men in tears’ and led to the cancellation of the Market Deeping Model Railway Club’s show in Stamford, Lincs.

Images taken by club members show how the thugs left the Stamford Welland Academy looking like a ‘bomb site’.

Tens of thousands of pounds worth of exhibits were destroyed by the vandals after they broke into the Market Deeping Model Railway Club’s show in Stamford, Lincs

Four youths were arrested on suspicion of burglary and criminal damage and have since been released on conditional bail.

Club chairman Peter Davies, 70, said exhibits were smashed, thrown around and stamped on, including a locomotive unit worth about £8,500.

The grandfather-of-five, a retired teacher, said the display had taken hours to prepare and included exhibits which were the ‘life’s work’ of some members.

It was expected the show would attract between 500 to 600 people from across the country and was due to begin on Saturday.

Paul Andrews from PD Marsh. Club chairman Peter Davies, 70, said there 'were grown men there in tears'

Paul Andrews from PD Marsh. Club chairman Peter Davies, 70, said there ‘were grown men there in tears’

Four youths were arrested on suspicion of burglary and criminal damage and have since been released on conditional bail. One destroyed model is pictured here

Four youths were arrested on suspicion of burglary and criminal damage and have since been released on conditional bail. One destroyed model is pictured here

Peter, of Market Deeping, Lincs., who has been building model trains for 60 years, said: ‘We are devastated and distraught.

‘It’s heartbreaking. There were grown men there in tears because of what had been done, and I admit I was one of them.

‘Can you imagine your life’s work wrecked? One guy spent 25 years on his work and it’s wrecked, it’s just horrendous. They left it like a bomb site.

‘We had to abandon the whole thing because it was it was scene of total devastation.

Bill Sowerby and Alan Hancock from the Market Deeping Model Railway Club in Sleaford, 2018, with one of their model railway constructions

Bill Sowerby and Alan Hancock from the Market Deeping Model Railway Club in Sleaford, 2018, with one of their model railway constructions

‘We had to abandon the whole thing because it was it was scene of total devastation,’ said the club chairman. This picture shows the scale of the damage, with flipped tables and chairs

‘We will never have the time to build the sort of layouts again, that’s where the anger comes from. Some of the models were irreplaceable.

‘Work that had taken many years to complete was totally destroyed.

‘There were many different models of locomotives across the hall that were smashed, trodden and kicked about.

‘Tables and layouts were overturned, dioramas were trashed, it was total devastation and destruction.

Some of the wrecked model buildings. 'Work that had taken many years to complete was totally destroyed,' Mr Davies said

Some of the wrecked model buildings. ‘Work that had taken many years to complete was totally destroyed,’ Mr Davies said

'We will never have the time to build the sort of layouts again, that's where the anger comes from. Some of the models were irreplaceable,' said Mr Davies

‘We will never have the time to build the sort of layouts again, that’s where the anger comes from. Some of the models were irreplaceable,’ said Mr Davies

‘There was no plan it was mindless. I have no idea why someone would do this.

‘The damage will top tens of thousands of pounds but it will never any recompense the time, skill and love that went into making those models, you can’t compensate that.

‘People have spent their lives building a model and then to see it trashed, there is no human emotion you can explain – just total despair.

‘But we’ve had support from all over the world – as far away as New Zealand and we will rise back from this’.

Peter Davis and Bill Sowerby from the devastated Market Deeping Model Railway Club posing with some of the debris

Peter Davis and Bill Sowerby from the devastated Market Deeping Model Railway Club posing with some of the debris

Some of the models and equipment had been thrown through the basketball hoops in the hall, and an electrical cable had was left hanging from one of the beams in the roof.

Many exhibits featured dozens of tiny, hand-finished components, and had taken hours of preparation.

Police were alerted by a resident at 3.50am and a short while later an alarm at the school also activated.

Officers from Lincolnshire Police and a dog handler from Cambridgeshire Police were able to track down four youths who were hiding in the school.

A Lincolnshire Police spokesperson said: ‘On arrival at the school we arrested four youths, who were on the premises, for burglary and criminal damage.

‘We are continuing our investigation and confirm damage was done to model railway exhibits which had been set up in the school for a display today (Sun).’

A Justgiving page set up to support the model railway club has already raised £1,100 towards it £500 target in less than 24 hours.

 

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