‘Extremely disappointing’ - Vandals inflict damage on number of amenities across historic Great Southern town
Wagin is grappling with a spike in vandalism with street signs and public amenities damaged or stolen.
Wagin Police say those committing the acts of vandalism tried to start a fire in the townsite toilets on the weekend of November 6-7.
They say the vandals burned toilet paper inside the ablutions block, rendering a toilet unusable.
Toilets in the Wetlands Park area in Wagin were also damaged on the same weekend this month. The toilets were closed to the public.
The vandalism came as the Shire of Wagin reported damaged fence railing next to the oval and stolen or damaged street signs in recent weeks.
Sign poles on Umbra Street and Johnston Street have been damaged and the sign on Unicorn Street was stolen or damaged more than once in the past month.
The Shire released a statement last week in hope of generating leads to help police “stop this problem before it escalates further”.
“This damage is costing ratepayers dearly and detracts from what is otherwise a very attractive town which is much valued by locals and visitors alike,” the statement read.
Shire chief executive officer Bill Atkinson said this type of behaviour is “unrepresentative of Wagin”.
“It is certainly upsetting to most of the local community who take pride in our town,” he said.
“Most people are proud of our town, especially the recent developments in the gardens and our town square improvements.”
Wagin Police Sergeant Simon Bickers said police were reviewing CCTV footage to identify suspects.
“It is extremely disappointing and we will be taking appropriate action when the offenders are identified,” he said.
Anyone with information is asked to call Wagin Police on 9852 0000 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Get the latest news from thewest.com.au in your inbox.
Sign up for our emails