Train carpark hit. $15,000 repair bill after 12 vehicles damaged

Updated November 2 2012 - 10:08am, first published July 13 2008 - 2:40pm
SMASHED: People  returned to the Ballarat Railway Station car park and found their cars damaged after vandals struck early yesterday morning.
SMASHED: People returned to the Ballarat Railway Station car park and found their cars damaged after vandals struck early yesterday morning.

MORE than $15,000 damage was caused to 12 vehicles parked at the Ballarat Railway Station yesterday morning.Unsuspecting train travellers and party revellers returned to find their cars with dinted bonnets and smashed windscreens after vandals targeted the car park between 1am and 4.15am.Ballarat Police Senior Constable Adam Donnan said it was the largest single vandal attack the railway station car park had experienced for some time.``They have jumped on the bonnets of the cars and kicked in the windscreens,'' he said.``We are appealing for anybody who may have seen or heard anything.``We will be looking at CCTV footage from the car park and also talking to hotel managers.''Police do not know if more than one person was responsible for the damage and whether it was people making their way home from the Lydiard St entertainment precinct.Cars targeted had their front windscreens and rear windows smashed in.Nothing was stolen from the cars.One victim, 21-year-old Linton resident Clinton Verdoorn, returned from a work trip to Perth to find his Falcon's front windscreen cracked and bonnet dinted.``I get home and this is what has happened,'' he said.``It was a last minute thing to leave the car here. My parents couldn't pick it up. ``I stay at my girlfriend's a lot in Melbourne and have never had any problem leaving the car here.''A regular commuter to Melbourne on the train, Mr Verdoorn said he would be looking at a bill of more than $600 to fix the car.``The worst thing is I have to come to the station everyday, and won't be able to until I get a new windscreen,'' he said.Ballarat Railway Station staff refused to comment but V/Line spokeswoman Rebecca Cusack deplored the damage.``It's disgraceful behaviour and frustrating for everyone involved,'' Ms Cusack said.``We are assisting police where we can including with the CCTV footage.'' It is not known whether the same people responsible for the damage at the railway station car park also tried to smash windows with rocks at the new State Government offices in Armstrong St.Anyone who may have seen or heard anything is asked to contact Ballarat Police on 53366000 or Crime Stoppers 1800333000.

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