Gladstone Theatre suffers attack by vandals during weekend spree

The Gladstone Theatre on Greendale Road in Port Sunlight has suffered at the hands of mindless vandals who smashed numerous windows at the venue over the weekend.

In a statement, the theatre said, “We are absolutely heartbroken to announce that we have been subject to some horrendous vandalism that took place in Port Sunlight over the weekend.

“Our beautiful theatre has unfortunately seen a significant amount of smashed windows alongside roof damage. After the impacts of COVID-19, whilst currently Crowdfunding to save our theatre from imminent closure, this really is devastating news.

“Now more than ever we are asking that if you would like to donate to help us in our fight for survival, no matter how small, please do so via our Crowdfunding Page at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/save-the-gladstoneWe are determined to keep on fighting and will not let this stop us! Together we will #SaveTheGladstone And as always, remember… This is not the finale, it is just an interval Love from everyone at the Gladstone Theatre.”

It is not known whether the crimes at the Gladstone Theatre are connected to other vandalism that took place in the village over the weekend. Cars were attacked, resulting in broken windscreens and wing mirrors, amongst other damage.

A spokesperson for the Gladstone Theatre told birkenhead.news, “The incident was reported to the police yesterday evening and they have been to the theatre this morning to assess the damage.

“At present we are awaiting a total cost for the damage as an adjuster is being sent out to the theatre to fully assess the damage and give us an approx. costing for the work that needs to be completed.

“We do however expect this figure to be reasonably high (within the thousands) as we are a heritage site and therefore all broken windows will have to be replaced with heritage glass, and as our roof is compiled of tiles and not slates which will also increase the cost of repairs.”

Merseyside Police has stepped up patrols in the area and Officers have asked residents to call if they see youths acting suspiciously and to report any incidents. Merseyside Police has stated that if anyone saw the damage being caused and captured anything on home CCTV or dashcam or have any other information, to please contact them on @MerPolCC with reference 425 of 23 November, call 101, or contact the charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

All images courtesy of Gladstone Theatre