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Vandals wreck model railway exhibition following break in at Welland Academy, Stamford

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rdlover777

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saw this pop up on my twitter feed this morning so i'd thought i'd post it here

https://www.stamfordmercury.co.uk/n...andalism-of-model-railway-exhibition-9070661/

Vandals have broken into a school and wrecked model railway exhibits which had been worth thousands of pounds.

The break-in happened in the early hours of this morning (Saturday May 18) at Welland Academy, Stamford's secondary school.

Four youths have been arrested on suspicion of burglary after the alarm was raised and police entered the building with a search dog.

Peter Davies, Chairman of Market Deeping Model Railway Club, which had arranged the exhibition that was due to take place today, said: "This is devastating. I have never seen anything like it.

Police were alerted after the alarm was raised at around 4am. An alarm had gone off and neighbours of the school had also made calls after becoming aware of people inside the school....
 
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Cowley

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Heartbreaking and depressing.
At least they were caught I suppose.
 

C37

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I just cannot understand why people who enjoy such an innocuous and inoffensive hobby and traders, have been targeted in this way.
Feel very sad and depressed for all the victims.
 

Monty

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Makes me feel sick to my stomach. There are really no other words to describe how I feel.
 

malc-c

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_107019993_vandal.jpg


Made national news https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-48326572

Thousands of pounds worth of model railway exhibits have been destroyed in an act of "total wanton destruction".

Market Deeping Model Railway Club lost years of work in the raid at Welland Academy in Stamford on Saturday.

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

Four youths have been arrested on suspicion of burglary and criminal damage.

A funding page set up to raise £500 for the club has made more than £32,000 in a matter of hours.

One contributor, Barry Cave, posted on the page: "Horrendous act of vandalism, hope my donation helps a little."

The club had set up the exhibition in the school for viewing on Sunday.

Mr Davies, who trained as a teacher and youth worker, said he was in "total confusion" over the vandalism.

"Models that were made over years were trodden on and thrown around. It's a total wanton destruction of the highest order.

"I've never experienced anything like it. A hurricane would have done less damage."

Lincolnshire Police 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 [Sunday]."

The youths were released on Saturday evening on conditional bail pending further inquiries.
 
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Wilts Wanderer

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People who do this sort of thing are less than human and deserve to be treated as such. Scum
 

jon0844

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People who do this sort of thing are less than human and deserve to be treated as such. Scum

If they get good solicitors, they'll argue that any punishment will effect the kids futures (even though someone doing this already has no future IMO) and punishment will likely be minimal. It will in no way compensate people for their losses.
 

jon0844

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We shall see, but I can't see the punishment fitting the crime. People doing such a thing have some serious issues and if not sent to prison might need to be sectioned as they are probably mentally unstable.
 

vinnym70

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Just south of 15K as of now. Nice response.
But, endless years of work ruined by some morons can't be put into perspective.
 

Strathclyder

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Late to this, but reading this made my blood boil and my stomach turn in on itself. I honestly can't fathom the mindset (or lack thereof) that makes someone do this. Hope the little gremlins responsible get the book thrown at them.

Now almost at £16k

Now beyond £22,000. Faith in humanity has been restored.
 

yorkie

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I just cannot understand why people who enjoy such an innocuous and inoffensive hobby and traders, have been targeted in this way
There are, unfortunately, a small but very noticeable minority who enjoy engaging in unacceptable behaviours such as vandalising property, and they will target anyone and anything, no matter how morally reprehensible e.g. https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/17650326.little-pickles-nursery-in-haxby-targeted-by-intruders/
INTRUDERS have thrown toys over the playground at a York nursery.

North Yorkshire Police tweeted that an outbuilding at Little Pickles Nursery at The Pavilion in Calf Close, Haxby, had had its metal shutter door kicked through.
They will target anything and anyone.
People who do this sort of thing are less than human and deserve to be treated as such. Scum
Our legal system will absolutely not treat them like scum; their identities will probably be protected and any punishment (if they are caught) will be very minor.

They will be free to continue carrying out such acts; there is absolutely no chance of any effective deserving punishment being handed out.

Even attempting to kill someone doesn't result in a suitable crime (see https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/violent-york-thug-is-locked-up-but-not-for-very-long.83951/) so I have given up hope that suitable, appropriate punishments will ever be introduced. It just isn't ever going to happen.
 

Peter Mugridge

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Quick question: Model railway shows will by their very nature contain many thousands of pounds worth of equipment and will also have been heavily advertised in advance.

Why, then, do the venues not provide security? Reading reports about this attack it is quite clear that only one or two venues do - hopefully that will now change...?
 

Ianno87

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Quick question: Model railway shows will by their very nature contain many thousands of pounds worth of equipment and will also have been heavily advertised in advance.

Why, then, do the venues not provide security? Reading reports about this attack it is quite clear that only one or two venues do - hopefully that will now change...?

Venues are often schools etc...which don't usually have a 'security' presence, other than maybe a caretaker.

The last thing we want is model rail shows being lumbered with the cost of G4S style security all night.
 

yorkie

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Venues are often schools etc...which don't usually have a 'security' presence, other than maybe a caretaker.
It is likely they would have no staff presence overnight but if the alarm is activated their security company would send someone to investigate.
The last thing we want is model rail shows being lumbered with the cost of G4S style security all night.
This is true.

I doubt it was targeted specifically because it was a model railway; vandals of this ilk target anyone and anything they want.
 

Cowley

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It reminds me of what a fox does when it gets into a chicken coop...

Anyone that’s involved with model railways understands the amount of effort it takes to create something of sufficient quality that you feel comfortable enough showing it to other people...
But unfortunately in this day and age what happened here was always going to happen one day.

Nothing can replace the research and effort put into replicating a small piece of history that’s been replicated in 3D miniature art form (and I believe that it is actually a form of art).
Some of the people that had created these models had probably devoted much of their retirement into doing something that they’d always wanted to do, but hadn’t had the time for due to life commitments.
They’d just got their 3D moving piece to the point where they were happy enough to show it to the public. And then this?

Unfortunately lots of things that people have put years of effort and love into seem to get smashed to bits by people with no sense of what’s right and wrong these days.
This one made the main news though surprisingly, and I’ve felt a general sense of sympathy and anger from the people I’ve talked to that don’t have any interest in railways whatsoever.

What’s the most likely but least pessimistic outcome for the morons people that did this though? And how will it effect them in the future? - Taking into account the fact that what they did has made the national news..

Genuine question, because others probably know more than I do.

This isn’t exactly crime of the century, and in the scale of things there’s probably things that we should be more worried about. It’s downright pointless and nasty though.
 

NYCSubway137

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Read the article on the BBC: absolutely saddening to see. Not surprised because there are folks out there who believe railfans and model railroaders are losers and think we’re all a bunch low lives when we’re really not. -_-
 

Bertie the bus

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What’s the most likely but least pessimistic outcome for the morons people that did this though? And how will it effect them in the future? - Taking into account the fact that what they did has made the national news..

Genuine question, because others probably know more than I do.
As they were caught in the act they will probably plead guilty, and as they are youths that will probably mean a referral order. So basically pretend they are sorry, write a letter of apology dictated to them by a do-gooder and that's it. No effect on their future whatsoever.
 

GusB

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It reminds me of what a fox does when it gets into a chicken coop...

Anyone that’s involved with model railways understands the amount of effort it takes to create something of sufficient quality that you feel comfortable enough showing it to other people...
But unfortunately in this day and age what happened here was always going to happen one day.

Nothing can replace the research and effort put into replicating a small piece of history that’s been replicated in 3D miniature art form (and I believe that it is actually a form of art).
Some of the people that had created these models had probably devoted much of their retirement into doing something that they’d always wanted to do, but hadn’t had the time for due to life commitments.
They’d just got their 3D moving piece to the point where they were happy enough to show it to the public. And then this?

Unfortunately lots of things that people have put years of effort and love into seem to get smashed to bits by people with no sense of what’s right and wrong these days.
This one made the main news though surprisingly, and I’ve felt a general sense of sympathy and anger from the people I’ve talked to that don’t have any interest in railways whatsoever.

What’s the most likely but least pessimistic outcome for the morons people that did this though? And how will it effect them in the future? - Taking into account the fact that what they did has made the national news..

Genuine question, because others probably know more than I do.

This isn’t exactly crime of the century, and in the scale of things there’s probably things that we should be more worried about. It’s downright pointless and nasty though.
Exactly this. Many superb models are built from odds-and-sods that would otherwise have been discarded and might not necessarily have any real monetary value, but having seen the time, effort and passion that goes into producing them it must be utterly heartbreaking; there's no compensation for that. In this case items of considerable value have also been destroyed. Surely any sentence has to reflect that.
I disagree with you striking out the word "morons", though; it's exactly what they are.
 

cactustwirly

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As they were caught in the act they will probably plead guilty, and as they are youths that will probably mean a referral order. So basically pretend they are sorry, write a letter of apology dictated to them by a do-gooder and that's it. No effect on their future whatsoever.

Isn't that a big assumption?
It's quite a lot of criminal damage, so I'd imagine that they'd serve jail time.
However them being youths, does complicate matters.
 

kristiang85

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I saw this story yesterday and it made me SO SO angry. I'm not a model railway enthusiast myself, but I've known a couple of people who are, and indeed I can empathise with any hobby that is a labour of love. For so much work and care to be destroy for absolutely no reason at all is heartbreaking.

However, I don't have much faith in the UK justice system that the book will the thrown at these lowlifes who did this.

But, on the other hand, it is wonderful to see how much that crowdfunding has raised. 99% of humans are good people.
 

pieguyrob

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Sorry but the police clearly have better things to do than respond to crine scenes that actually involve vandals.
First of all, and, this is more important, they do deal with people who wolf whistle. This is a far more heinious crime and perpetrators need locking up.
Second of all they need to deal with name calling on twitter.
Actually solving an actuall crime is far too difficult and they would rather not do it, unless you are a disabled, muslim, lesbian and tick all the diversity boxes.
FORGET ABOUT TOY TRAIN SETS, YOU HAVE NO CHANCE!
its a shame texts don't do sarcasm.
 
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