By Belinda Nolan
The club’s social rooms were destroyed when vandals broke in and deliberately set fire to the building in the early hours of last Sunday morning, causing thousands of dollars worth of damage and demolishing priceless memorabilia.
But the torment did not end there, members had another nasty surprise in store when arsonists struck again just four days later, setting fire to the club’s wicket covers on Thursday night.
The fires are the latest in a string of incidents which have terrorised the club in recent years.
Druids Secretary Tim McKerracher said members were sick and tired of destructive vandals using their clubrooms as a private playground.
Mr McKerracher said the clubrooms were continually broken into up to five times during the summer months, with alcohol stolen.
The club had also had trouble with local youths who hang around the reserve at night, drinking and using drugs.
On 29 January police caught two youths with stolen number plates using drugs in the reserve car park.
Vandals have previously burned the club’s wicket covers, dousing them with petrol and setting them alight.
The vandals have also ruined the clubroom carpets by pouring paint on them.
Mr McKerracher said the club felt it was being targeted but was at a loss to understand why.
“It’s just senseless,” Mr McKerracher told Star.
“We’re obviously being targeted but we have no idea why.
“We’re a community club and we haven’t done anything to warrant this type of behaviour.”
Lisa King, Maribyrnong Council’s Acting General Manager of Sustainable Development said the council’s insurance company was currently assessing the damage bill.
Ms King said the council was doing everything in its power to help the Druids and planned to repair the damage as soon as possible.
She said the council and club were working with Footscray Police to discuss measures to prevent future vandalism at the site.
