Bosses at Arran Brewery say their vandal-plagued Dreghorn site is now under constant attack from yobs — with neighbours too scared to intervene.
Tooled-up thieves carried out a wrecking spree in the latest in a long line of break-ins at the premises which have been a magnet for mindless thugs since opening in 2014.
And exasperated managing director Gerald Michaluk says attacks are increasing in frequency and severity at the small brewery project, housed in the grounds of the former Dreghorn Primary School, Irvine.
He said: "Attacks are almost daily and the police appear powerless to stop them as even when they apprehend some of the culprits their age prevents them taking any meaningful action, while under Scottish law their parents cannot be held liable for the damage their children cause.
"Some neighbours have been too scared to intervene or even to call the police and I don’t blame them. The recent attack was from thieves armed with screwdrivers and other tools.
"So I urge any witnesses to simply call the police and not try to tackle the criminals themselves”.
The site is currently awaiting redevelopment. It failed to attract an RSA grant several years ago and as a result Arran Brewery lacked the funds for development beyond phase one.
Mr Michaluk fears the never-ending barrage is stopping potential partners from investing.
He added: “The site has been problematic and the council's insistence that the school building is preserved has frightened off development partners, while thieves stealing lead from the roof have caused considerable structural damage to the building, and almost constant blatant vandalism has not helped.
"Arran Brewery will investigate other grant opportunities to help preserve the site but against these constant and worsening attacks it is unlikely, that even with grant assistance the site will be attractive to develop."
Police Scotland say they have increased patrols in the area.
Inspector David Cameron said: “We are aware of recent issues involving youths at Dreghorn in Irvine and we are committed to tackling this behaviour.
"We have increased our patrols in this area and I would ask people to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity.
We would like to also remind people that disused, derelict or empty buildings can possess significant hazards and real dangers to persons within, these building should not be entered."
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