A Dumfries bar boss has hit out at vandals for trashing a custom built shelter outside his pub.
The Lochar Inn has been targeted for the past two weeks with yobs smashing bottles, leaving used condoms and drug paraphernalia littered across the area.
Staff at the pub, who have been renovating the Edinburgh Road business, have also been given abuse by youngsters as they try to move them on.
Benny Mullen, 34, the bar manager said: “There’s been used condoms, smashed bottles, what I think are drug packets, cigarette ends and sick all over the place. It’s disgusting.
“It’s also dangerous. This is a wooden structure and if someone leaves an unlit cigarette there it could catch on fire and the shelter is attached to the pub.”
Lease holder Kieran Whyte has been investing money into the pub in anticipation of lockdown restrictions being eased in the near future.
That includes the outdoor area which will allow customers to socially distance while they enjoy a drink.
In an attempt to discourage vandals from gathering in the shelter benches were piled up and the area boarded up but they were broken on Wednesday night.
Mr Mullen is calling for more patrols from the police to curb the behaviour.
He said: “This has been going on for about two weeks as we’ve been doing work on the pub.
“As we get to the end of the night there’s a group of young kids that start gathering.
“Kieran’s spent quite a bit of money on this area for reopening so we can have people outside and serve them and we can be successful.
“Do their parents know where they are and what they’re doing? We’re not supposed to be meeting in groups right now for a start.
“It has been reported to the police and hopefully they will be able to do more patrols of the area.”
He added: “It’s frustrating because we want the pub to be a success.
“We have had a lot of community support though with customers offering to help fix it up which is a positive from all of this.”
“We would welcome any assistance from members of the public to alert us to any gatherings or suspicious behaviour in that area too.”
