Moronic vandals attack Darwen's revamped railway station

10:43am Thursday 7th June 2012 in News

Windows were smashed at Darwen's newly improved railway station Windows were smashed at Darwen's newly improved railway station

A RAILWAY station has been vandalised just days after a £400,000 revamp.

Four windows were smashed on the new shelter of Darwen station’s Manchester-bound platform leaving glass all over the floor.

It is the third time in recent weeks vandals have hit key Darwen landmarks follwing major investment.

A fitness and play facility, the AdiZone, built at Darwen Valley Community Centre, Sudellside Street, was wrecked before it opened last month, and Darwen Tower’s new dome was vandalised days after being replaced in March.

Work on the station, as well as new shelters on both platforms, included improved access, electronic information screens and CCTV, resurfaced platforms with new signage, information boards and fencing, while areas around the station were landscaped to provide a more appealing entrance.

Sudell councillor Paul Browne said: “What can you say? This is just disgusting.

“It has gone beyond a joke. These people do not care about all the good things we are doing for Darwen.

“These people must be sick.”

Fellow Sudell councillor Roy Davies said: “It doesn’t surprise me.

“Everything in Darwen gets thrown back in your face, no matter what you try to do.

“It is frustrating, especially when you are talking about thousands of pounds being spent.

“Money is being poured into Darwen and we are not getting a return on it.”

Coun Dave Harling, executive member for regeneration at Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: “A lot of hard work went into making the renovations to the station to make it more attractive for travellers.

“This is disappointing news to say the least. It is always shocking to see mindless acts of vandalism but this, coming not two weeks since the refurbishment was completed, is a real kick in the teeth.

“I would advise all people visiting the station to be vigilant. If you see any vandalism please report it to the Police.

“We want to stamp this behaviour out so passengers can use these facilities the way they were intended.”

Northern Rail had to fork out for the replacement windows, thought to cost in the region of £1,000.

Craig Harrop, from the firm, said: “It is disheartening to see this sort of mindless vandalism at Darwen, which recently benefited from a £400,000 refurbishment scheme.

“We hope to have the damage repaired as soon as possible.

“In the meantime, we will be looking closely at the recently installed CCTV and will also be speaking with the British Transport Police.”

A British Transport Police (BTP) spokesman said officers spotted the damage while on patrol on Tuesday.

It is being treated as criminal damage and an investigation is under way.

Anyone with information is asked to call BTP on 0800 405040.

Comments(38)

walker112 says...
11:07am Thu 7 Jun 12

I dont really know why people are surprised. Anything you do these days is spoiled by youths who have absolutely no respect for anyone or anything. It might help if when they are actually caught they get punished instead of rewarded for good behaviour.
Personally I'd name and shame their parents as well. They obviously haven't got a clue what their child is doing or they just plain don't care. And if it's the latter then they're not fit to have a child

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walker112 says...
11:09am Thu 7 Jun 12

apologies - I meant 'rewarded for bad behaviour'

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Bat E Karen says...
11:20am Thu 7 Jun 12

It should have been captured on CCTV or that was a complete waste of money.

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walker112 says...
11:21am Thu 7 Jun 12

A complete waste of mondy i'd imagine - like the 2nd set of glass will be ;-)

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walker112 says...
11:22am Thu 7 Jun 12

***money even lol

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juanbbien says...
12:33pm Thu 7 Jun 12

You try and improve the environment for local people and this is what you get,it's the same brigade that when abroad they have the,we are British and proud of it and then come home and try to wreck the Bloody place and they are too thick to realise that money for repairs comes out of there taxations etc but having said that they are probably on benefits anyway,if they have so much energy why don't they go and join a gym or a boxing club and put it to good use if they can hack it,instead they would sooner hang around street corners moaning we have nothing to do, I despair

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Darren1951 says...
12:33pm Thu 7 Jun 12

Well, there's a surprise!!

"We hope to have the damage repaired as soon as possible" - I'm going to run a sweepstake on how quickly the repairs are vandalised - any takers?

"It is being treated as criminal damage" - what else would you call it?

Only one answer - cut off their g**lies!!

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Angusam says...
12:52pm Thu 7 Jun 12

Hope they take a close look at the new CCTV and get those responsible, they may have even been from out of town due to the Darwen Live festival being on over the bank holiday attracting many from elsewhere.

Whoever was responsible and regardless of where they were from, they should be made to do community service laying railway sleepers and tracks and clearing weeds from the railway lines and train stations when they are caught.

Maybe then these scum bags will have some more respect for hard work and get a bit of community understanding.

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slimitus says...
1:10pm Thu 7 Jun 12

Its not the buildings in darwen that need to be " upgraded " its the chavs and idiots that need kicking out. No matter how much you upgrade or even repair, there will always be idiots and scum that will either break, steal or vandalise it.

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everywhere is sh1t says...
1:13pm Thu 7 Jun 12

fit perpex glass that they cant break easy

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MerlinTheVoiceofReason2 says...
1:32pm Thu 7 Jun 12

These moronic incidents do seem to happen soon after renovations and improvements have been completed. Has it ever occurred to anyone that the culprits may be from Blackburn, having read of these things in the LT? Hopefully, CCTV will have captured the evidence.

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A Darener says...
2:48pm Thu 7 Jun 12

Angusam wrote:
Hope they take a close look at the new CCTV and get those responsible, they may have even been from out of town due to the Darwen Live festival being on over the bank holiday attracting many from elsewhere.

Whoever was responsible and regardless of where they were from, they should be made to do community service laying railway sleepers and tracks and clearing weeds from the railway lines and train stations when they are caught.

Maybe then these scum bags will have some more respect for hard work and get a bit of community understanding.
I don't know about laying sleepers and tracks! Being tied too the sleepers and tracks might stop them!

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johndarwen says...
3:17pm Thu 7 Jun 12

£400.000 and the cctv was not working.
Find them and make them and their families pay for the damage. Why should we pay for the damage or the railways!!

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Bat E Karen says...
3:27pm Thu 7 Jun 12

How do you know the CCTV wasn't working?

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sonny says...
4:24pm Thu 7 Jun 12

Not suprised 1 bit, i know its a cliched thing to say but there really is nothing in darwen for young adults an kids to do other than get wasted and cause trouble. Im only in blackburn which isnt much better but their is just enough to do to keep the majority of young people ocupied i.e sports facilities, cinema, football, proper shopping centre, various clubs, boxing,martial arts, bowling, ice hockey, dance,weight training....., maybe the council should spend more money on these kinds of distractions instead of irrelavant crap thats just going to get trashed.

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Bluegoose says...
4:31pm Thu 7 Jun 12

I think the idiots who have done this have gone off the RAILS they need TRACKING down FIRST theyve no FIRST CLASS and its POINTLESS. I hope this doesnt mean we will have to now start paying train fares to Manchester.

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Bluegoose says...
4:31pm Thu 7 Jun 12

I think the idiots who have done this have gone off the RAILS they need TRACKING down FIRST theyve no FIRST CLASS and its POINTLESS. I hope this doesnt mean we will have to now start paying train fares to Manchester.

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Bluegoose says...
4:31pm Thu 7 Jun 12

I think the idiots who have done this have gone off the RAILS they need TRACKING down FIRST theyve no FIRST CLASS and its POINTLESS. I hope this doesnt mean we will have to now start paying train fares to Manchester.

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safetyman says...
4:43pm Thu 7 Jun 12

I thought CCTV had just been installed. Having nothing to do or being bored is no excuse. When I was a kid many years ago, we made out own entertainment, without casuing damage. Trouble is these days, kids want entertaining, which costs money

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porterman says...
4:54pm Thu 7 Jun 12

Its prob the same group of numptys who were smashing up signs in a nearby street.

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Michael@ClitheroeSince58 says...
5:36pm Thu 7 Jun 12

Why don't they just drop a nuke on Darwen and be done with it.

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foxy lass says...
6:26pm Thu 7 Jun 12

This is what will happen when police staff have reduced and officers are starting and finishing their shifts at Whitebirk station in Blackburn. Crime has gone worse since they moved out. A campaign should be started to demand that police return to work from the old station not covering Blackburn!!! What are Darreners paying their taxes for!

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gags2 says...
6:57pm Thu 7 Jun 12

what i cant understand is that there are houses about 15 yds away why could one of them not ring the police they must have heard the glass

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Darren1951 says...
9:26pm Thu 7 Jun 12

gags2 wrote:
what i cant understand is that there are houses about 15 yds away why could one of them not ring the police they must have heard the glass
Firstly, they're probably all double-glazed, at least; secondly, it's one of the great ills of modern times - lots of people just "don't want to get involved." QED

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K_B says...
10:18pm Thu 7 Jun 12

Why is it that anyone is even pretending to be surprised? We all know Darwen, The councillors have worked/lived here long enough to know, The Police know... We ALL know! Of course it was going to happen, it will happen again and again and again just like it always has! Darwen tower? And what? Go up there today and see the dozen new scrawls all over it... go next month and see a hundred more! the old top was COVERED!
Train station? bah! Why even bother putting glass in, haven't they learnt anything?
The "Adizone" PLEASE! In Sudell? LOL! **** money down the drain even if it hadn't been vandalised, can you honestly see any of the local reprobates actually exercising, let alone in public?

The purse holders seriously need to wake up!

As for CCTV... It's DARWEN! Do you REALLY think it's working? Let's wait for the silence and see...

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everywhere is sh1t says...
9:17am Fri 8 Jun 12

johndarwen wrote:
£400.000 and the cctv was not working.
Find them and make them and their families pay for the damage. Why should we pay for the damage or the railways!!
why make the familys pay they did not do it also i take it your a rail user,i myself have a car as train travel costs more now then it does to use my car
darwin must be one rough hole to live in,railway station damaged,darwin tower damaged,all wild life and cats getting shot yes what a place to live

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Elsie C says...
9:37am Fri 8 Jun 12

'Youth's'!

They are not Youth's, they are out & out Scum and Scum breeds Scum!

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Bat E Karen says...
9:44am Fri 8 Jun 12

The word "Darwen" appears on this page 30 times (according to my Chrome find box) so how on earth can someone spell it wrong?

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Darren1951 says...
9:55am Fri 8 Jun 12

Bat E Karen wrote:
The word "Darwen" appears on this page 30 times (according to my Chrome find box) so how on earth can someone spell it wrong?
Not to mention all the spelling mistakes, eg. familys - even when it was spelt correctly in the quiote immediately above! Don't know if you're a Darrener, but we aren't all semi-literate. Mind you, the LT doesn't exactly set a high standard, does it?

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Bat E Karen says...
10:08am Fri 8 Jun 12

Darren1951 wrote:
Bat E Karen wrote:
The word "Darwen" appears on this page 30 times (according to my Chrome find box) so how on earth can someone spell it wrong?
Not to mention all the spelling mistakes, eg. familys - even when it was spelt correctly in the quiote immediately above! Don't know if you're a Darrener, but we aren't all semi-literate. Mind you, the LT doesn't exactly set a high standard, does it?
Yes, I'm a Darrener who can spell.

I don't normally pick on spelling or grammar (apart from one or two of the LT's glaringly obvious mistakes in the past) because none of us are perfect, but I found the misspelling of Darwen unbelievable because of the number of times it appears on this very page.

Twice as well so it's not even a typo.

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darwenTower says...
10:25am Fri 8 Jun 12

It can't be much longer, surely, before communities begin to take the law into their own hands.

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Darren1951 says...
10:36am Fri 8 Jun 12

darwenTower wrote:
It can't be much longer, surely, before communities begin to take the law into their own hands.
Dead right - I dread the day, but I reckon it's inevitable, especially when we keep hearing about things like so-called "travellers" or, more accurately, thieving Irish scumbags, totally ignoring the law.

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mythoughts70 says...
10:45am Fri 8 Jun 12

I have noticed over the past few years that Darwen seems to be declining, the area is being brought down by some of the people who live there (or have moved into the area), not just young people but supposedly adults. When I first moved to Darwen I used to think it was a nice little town (and there are still plenty of nice areas in Darwen) but over the years I saw the way it was going, more drug related crimes, more anti social behaviour, problem families/areas etc I decided that I did not want my child growing up in the area and moved away. It would be lovely to see Darwen improve but the minority of people spoil it and I don't think that will ever change and only see it getting worse over the coming years. Responding to 'darwenTower' comment, it all depends on what kind of people live in the communities, if they don't give a **** then there is no chance of pulling together and sorting out the problem.

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Darren1951 says...
10:53am Fri 8 Jun 12

Mythoughts - you're quite right in what you say, but it's not just a local, but a national, problem, which you'll see replicated in dozens of towns around the country. If people don't take, or aren't made to take, reponsibility for their actions, or lack thereof, as you also say, nothing will change.

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Sensible1121 says...
1:04pm Fri 8 Jun 12

Agree totally with Darren1951, this is a national problem that is mirrored up and down the country and especially in small towns. I think the real problem nowadays is a complete lack of common understanding,manner
s and human values, respect for authority so until schools and the council recognise it and actually "educate" values in schools/colleges/ society then it won't improve. It's too easy sometimes to call the individuals scum/animals without recognising where they come from and what lives they've had and if all you've had to teach you are violent video games/instant gratification then you aren't going to show respect to anyone/thing until it changes. The parents are totally to blame as most spend majority of the time in pubs allowing their offspring to go on a wrecking spree. This culture needs to change.

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Your ferret stinks says...
1:19pm Fri 8 Jun 12

mythoughts70 wrote:
I have noticed over the past few years that Darwen seems to be declining, the area is being brought down by some of the people who live there (or have moved into the area), not just young people but supposedly adults. When I first moved to Darwen I used to think it was a nice little town (and there are still plenty of nice areas in Darwen) but over the years I saw the way it was going, more drug related crimes, more anti social behaviour, problem families/areas etc I decided that I did not want my child growing up in the area and moved away. It would be lovely to see Darwen improve but the minority of people spoil it and I don't think that will ever change and only see it getting worse over the coming years. Responding to 'darwenTower' comment, it all depends on what kind of people live in the communities, if they don't give a **** then there is no chance of pulling together and sorting out the problem.
Could not agree more and that is why i have just moved out of Darwen, it's become an impossible town to tolerate wether it's the youths or the council as they are both as bad as each other, i can only see darwen revolving round in ever decreasing circles until it eventually disappears up it's own ar5e. To all the good people of darwen i sincerely hope i'm wrong because you are worth it, but my word it's going to be tough .......cheap houses = lots of landlords = transient people = dont give a sh1t attitude.

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Michael@ClitheroeSince58 says...
9:05pm Fri 8 Jun 12

Darren1951 wrote:
Mythoughts - you're quite right in what you say, but it's not just a local, but a national, problem, which you'll see replicated in dozens of towns around the country. If people don't take, or aren't made to take, reponsibility for their actions, or lack thereof, as you also say, nothing will change.
I actually know the answer to all this! you have to give people a stake in society you see it's that simple no stake no care get it????!!!!!!!!

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CapitaBackHander says...
12:44pm Sat 9 Jun 12

Excuse my ignorance for not reading the whole article or comments yet BUT I commented on this 'work' and lack or trains by saying that any work should involve a budget for the best CCTV system that would be monitored or recorded at all times because it was 100% this or worse would happen. Seriously someone (or more) needs the sack from a highly paid job if this is not the case!

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