Shropshire care home development blighted by vandals

Bradeney House in Worfield, near Bridgnorth, is currently building an extra bungalow with 14 bedrooms after months of wrangling with planners.

Company owner Les Jones said £3,000 worth of equipment had been stolen on top of the damage caused over the last week and claimed a JCB on site had been had one of its windows shot with an air rifle.

Further damage has been caused to perimeter fence, which has been installed to stop people entering the building site.

Mr Jones said: "Two of our fences were pushed over on Friday night and some of the letters on the entrance gates that read "Bradeney House" have also been ripped off.

"The matter has been reported to the police and I have tried to make inquiries locally but no one seems to know what happened.

"The metal fence runs adjacent to the road to keep people out for health and safety reasons but it's all been pulled over and smashed.

"Whoever ripped the letters off would also have had to use some force to remove them.

"Last Wednesday is appears someone shot one of the windows of a JCB because it went straight through the glass without shattering it. We are disgusted people would sink to this level."

Mr Jones said after a four year battle he had finally been given planning permission for the new build at the care in September.

He said the work would also bring 20 new jobs into the area but the plans had been fiercely opposed in certain areas.

He said: "We finally got everything sorted and started work on the project six ago.

"Our aim or this £4 million extension was to create more homes for the elderly and also to bring in jobs for Bridgnorth and the surrounding areas/

"There has been a lot of hostility to the development but we just want to get on with it."

A spokesman for West Mercia Police confirmed the sign at Bradeney House care home had been damaged overnight on Friday.

He said: "Two letters have been removed from the sign.

"Also during the week fencing at the building site has been pushed over and some of the heavy plant machines have been damaged along with some items being taken.

"At this time we cannot locate any offenders but if any members of the public noticed any strange activity in the area of Bradeney house we asked they get in touch with us."

Information can be passed on by calling 101 and quoting reference 0158S 300515.