South Shields theatre has doors and windows smashed in by ‘hooded’ vandal

A South Shields theatre has been attacked by a ‘hooded vandal’ while performers rehearsed inside.

The Westovian Theatre, located on Pier Parade which is a volunteer-led theatre and registered charity, was targeted by a ‘person in a hooded jacket’ last weekend, which resulted in significant criminal damage to the building, including smashed glass and a broken door.

A staff member from Haven Point, the South Shields leisure centre which is located across from the theatre, contacted the Westovian Theatre to bring their attention to  damage that had been done to the entrance doors of the theatre building.

However, further damage to the entrance doors took place as performers were rehearsing inside for the upcoming play, Yes Prime Minister, later that evening.  At the end of their rehearsal, they discovered that the glass of the entrance doors had been smashed.

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When contacted for comment, the chairman of the Westovian Theatre, Ian Johnson, did not want to comment on the incident. However, details of the incident have been published in the theatre’s June newsletter. It read: “We arranged for the door to be boarded up. One firm was going to be after 8am the next day but Wadds could make it within the hour.”

“While waiting, I checked the CCTV and yes, it shows the first damage to the door being done at 5:14pm and then the door being kicked in at 8:47pm.  Both times the person is wearing a hooded jacket and has their back to the camera.

“Wadds did turn up in 50 minutes but took a while to board the door as the steel work had been twisted.

“We left after cleaning the glass up as the theatre was in use Saturday morning and we got home at 1am.

“We are still awaiting contact from the police.”