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Thickos on Film
CCTV shock for black taxi depot dopes; arrests are expected soon
No masks, no gloves, no sense. That’s the verdict on this gang of crazed thickos who trashed the city centre Castle Junction HQ of the black taxis two nights running this week.
Cops are this morning studying these vivid CCTV images – along with a wealth of fingerprint and forensic evidence left at the scene by the bungling raiders.
It’s thought that the five-strong gang, who caused thousands of pounds worth of damage to the taxi depot, could be behind bars within days – or even hours.
CAUGHT IN THE ACT
Taxi depot is trashed... TWICE
Teenage thugs hell-bent on destruction have devastated the headquarters of the West Belfast Taxi Association after attacking the building on two consecutive nights this week.
As these CCTV pictures, obtained from Castle Junction, show, the gang wreaked havoc at the black taxi headquarters in the overnight attacks.
A spokesman for the West Belfast Taxi Association (WBTA) says he believes that the same teenage gang, were responsible for both attacks on Castle Junction in King Street causing tens of thousands of pounds worth of damage and disrupting the service.
CCTV footage shows that five teenagers were involved in each attack.
The first attack on the building took place in the early hours of Tuesday. The gang first tried to gain entry to Castle Junction through an adjoining car park.
When this failed they gained entry to Castle Junction by prising a shutter open with a plank of wood. The unmasked and ungloved thugs then went on a wrecking spree, stealing £2,000 worth of cigarettes. They also used a chair to smash a toy machine which contained money. In the early hours of Wednesday a gang again broke into the premises by prising open the same shutter and left more devastation in their wake.
A further quantity of cigarettes was stolen, telephones were ripped from the walls and a shop in the building was ransacked.
It’s thought that the extensive CCTV footage as well as forensic evidence left by the thugs could lead to early arrests.
The spokesman for the WBTA said that staff are furious about the attacks on the premises and added that the devastation caused was a direct attack on the local community who are served by the black taxis.
“I would say that this has caused tens of thousands of pounds worth of damage and am in no doubt that the same people are involved in both attacks,” he said. “The service has been disrupted two days in a row and the people who did this have attacked the entire community by attacking the service, they have mucked the staff about and they have mucked local people about,” he added.
A spokeswoman for the PSNI said that the attacks were under investigation.
“I can confirm that the premises were burgled on two consecutive nights and that £2,000 worth of cigarettes were stolen on the first night, during the second attack the premises were damaged and a quantity of cigarettes were stolen.”
The spokeswoman confirmed that the PSNI are following the line of enquiry that the same gang was involved in both attacks.
Journalist:: Roisin Cox
Thickos on Film
CCTV shock for black taxi depot dopes; arrests are expected soon
No masks, no gloves, no sense. That’s the verdict on this gang of crazed thickos who trashed the city centre Castle Junction HQ of the black taxis two nights running this week.
Cops are this morning studying these vivid CCTV images – along with a wealth of fingerprint and forensic evidence left at the scene by the bungling raiders.
It’s thought that the five-strong gang, who caused thousands of pounds worth of damage to the taxi depot, could be behind bars within days – or even hours.
CAUGHT IN THE ACT
Taxi depot is trashed... TWICE
Teenage thugs hell-bent on destruction have devastated the headquarters of the West Belfast Taxi Association after attacking the building on two consecutive nights this week.
As these CCTV pictures, obtained from Castle Junction, show, the gang wreaked havoc at the black taxi headquarters in the overnight attacks.
A spokesman for the West Belfast Taxi Association (WBTA) says he believes that the same teenage gang, were responsible for both attacks on Castle Junction in King Street causing tens of thousands of pounds worth of damage and disrupting the service.
CCTV footage shows that five teenagers were involved in each attack.
The first attack on the building took place in the early hours of Tuesday. The gang first tried to gain entry to Castle Junction through an adjoining car park.
When this failed they gained entry to Castle Junction by prising a shutter open with a plank of wood. The unmasked and ungloved thugs then went on a wrecking spree, stealing £2,000 worth of cigarettes. They also used a chair to smash a toy machine which contained money. In the early hours of Wednesday a gang again broke into the premises by prising open the same shutter and left more devastation in their wake.
A further quantity of cigarettes was stolen, telephones were ripped from the walls and a shop in the building was ransacked.
It’s thought that the extensive CCTV footage as well as forensic evidence left by the thugs could lead to early arrests.
The spokesman for the WBTA said that staff are furious about the attacks on the premises and added that the devastation caused was a direct attack on the local community who are served by the black taxis.
“I would say that this has caused tens of thousands of pounds worth of damage and am in no doubt that the same people are involved in both attacks,” he said. “The service has been disrupted two days in a row and the people who did this have attacked the entire community by attacking the service, they have mucked the staff about and they have mucked local people about,” he added.
A spokeswoman for the PSNI said that the attacks were under investigation.
“I can confirm that the premises were burgled on two consecutive nights and that £2,000 worth of cigarettes were stolen on the first night, during the second attack the premises were damaged and a quantity of cigarettes were stolen.”
The spokeswoman confirmed that the PSNI are following the line of enquiry that the same gang was involved in both attacks.
Journalist:: Roisin Cox
