Hammer attack – then £200 repair bill
AMUM is “bitter” after being hit with a £200 police bill ‘for a wooden board’ after yobs smashed up her car and house.
Lianne Forrest was at in bed at her home on Water Street, Accrington, at around 11pm when her teenage daughter ran to tell her the living room window had been broken.
Lianne, 46, went outside and realised the car had also been smashed up, with glass everywhere. Neighbours’ CCTV appears to show a group of three males carrying out the attack in a matter of seconds, before running off.
Lianne said: “It was frightening. You can see on the CCTV how much force they’ve done it with and how they’ve gone through both panes of glass. Two of them have been on our car and smashed the back passenger window, and snapped the driver’s mirror and damaged the windscreen. You can see they’re carrying hammers.”
Lianne, who is a single parent to a son, 14 and daughter, 16, said the damage inflicted in the incident on Sunday, September 27 was just over £500. She was then staggered to be landed with a hefty additional bill for temporary repair to the window pane.
She told the Observer: “The main thing I’m surprised at is the police have charged £204 for the privilege of putting up a wooden board. They said they would charge me, but they just said they didn’t know how much it would cost. They came pretty quick, to be fair - about 11.30 or just after. But it was a two-minute job.”
Police have not offered any comment on the repairs bill.
Lianne, who says her neighbours had been a huge help, says she has been given 14 days to pay for the repairs, which she had only agreed to because the cost was unknown, as well as the time of night and security concerns.
She added: “If they had said it will be £200 I would have said no. I’m a single parent on benefits. I am bitter about it - I would have thought it would be about £70 or £80 for the callout charge.
“I would like to say a thank you to the neighbours. They helped clear up the glass and put up plastic sheeting for me. They made it safe for us.”
Lianne appealed for residents on Avenue Parade who has CCTV to check if they can find anything from around 11pm that night. She also says more CCTV shows the perpetrators on Surrey Street, and Stanley Street/Bold Street.
A Lancashire Police spokesman said officers are continuing with the investigation and identification of the suspects.
Anyone with any information can email 5012@ lancashire.police.uk .