Youth leaders have condemned 'mindless hooligans' who wrecked a minibus while youngsters were enjoying rock climbing day at a beauty spot.
The yobs struck as the Wigan Youth Zone vehicle was parked on the popular Anglezark Reservoir attraction, near Bolton, smashing a a large window before activating a fire extinguisher inside and stealing personal items.
Organisers say it will be several weeks before the minibus can be used again.
After Saturday afternoon of escaping to the great outdoors, members were left with a four-hour wait to get home.
The 17-seater vehicle would usually help members get to Wigan Youth Zone, a free service for young people around the town.
More recently, the bus has been used for weekly outdoor trips to local natural beauty spots, delivering lockdown activity packs and food parcels to households facing hardship during the pandemic.
Chris Quigley, climbing wall and DofE coordinator at Wigan Youth Zone, said: “The outdoor trips have been incredibly popular with our members, for some it’s the first time they have left Wigan in over a year.
"We have done all we possibly can to be self-sufficient and innovative to keep the outdoor programme going [during the pandemic], so to have all the efforts kicked in the teeth by mindless hooliganism is heart breaking.”
And he stressed that Wigan Youth Zone relies on donations and support from business investments along with donations from the local community.
Every donation, he said, goes towards helping young people of Wigan and Leigh to discover a world of possibilities and create the future they deserve.
To can donate to Wigan Youth Zone here.
Wigan Youth Zone has been operating since June 2013, providing a state-of-the-art facility for all young people of the Wigan.
