Police investigate after windows smashed at new community centre in Leiston
Damage was caused to the Project40Seven building over the weekend
Police are investgating after the windows were smashed at a new community centre which is being set up in Leiston town centre.
Project40Seven, which is being put together by Creative Leiston, will eventually provide a new space for events as well as a new venue for the Leiston Pantry social supermaket and a local 'Library of Things'.
However staff arrived at the building off the High Street on Sunday to find windows smashed and broken glass bottles littering the floor outside.
In a statement posted online, Project40Seven said: "This post should be about the wonderful folks who have kindly offered help, and donations of materials towards the project today!"
"Instead I have to say how utterly saddened and defeated we felt upon coming to drop off the kindly donated items to our new home on the High Street, to discover that once again, a small minority of people have decided that Leiston shouldn't have nice things, and have vandalised Church Square with broken glass bottles all over, and smashed almost all the windows.
"Not only has this meant we've spent our day off having to clear up and make safe the public space outside, as well as the inside the building.
"We've also had to use some of the materials that would have gone towards the renovations to get the project started, instead on boarding up to make the building secure.
"These acts of vandalism make insurance costs for the project higher, taking away from the funding we'd far rather be able to use making things better for the community!"
The venue has already had help from local businesses to board up the windows and have talked to Suffolk Police.
A crowdfunder has been launched to help fund Project40Seven, which will also include a small cafe and office space for community groups when finished.