FURY AS MORONS TARGET ICONIC PAISLEY MUSIC VENUE
David Campbell
Cops are hunting a gang of thieves who trashed an iconic Paisley music venue and made off with thousands of pounds in cash.
Yobs ransacked The Bungalow, smashing up the pool table and slot machine before stealing around £1,500.
It’s believed the crooks managed to gain entry to the venue through panels in the roof.
Now desperate owner Alan Corrigan, who worked hard to bring the venue back from the dead last year, faces a massive bill for the damage.
He has been mounting his own late- night security patrols since the raid, and has appealed for help to catch the crooks.
He said: “The place was completely ransacked. The puggy has been totally smashed. They’ve got the money from it.
“The pool table is smashed up and they got to the cash in there too. Thankfully, I had banked the takings the day before – so the till was empty, apart from the change.
“There was a box of change beside the till and another box of money in the office, which they got.
“All in all, they got about £1,500 and a couple of bottles of whisky.
“The damage will run into
thousands. Who knows how much a puggy machine will cost us?”
Worried Alan has been keeping watch at the Shuttle Street venue since the raid, which took place between 3pm on Monday and noon on Tuesday, even mounting night-time patrols to make sure the thieves don’t return.
“I’m paranoid they are going to come back,” he said.
“Me and the bar manager were circling the bar at 3am last night just to make sure they don’t try and get in again,.”
“I think the previous owners had a very similar break-in before.
It was strange, because there was lots of expensive equipment there that they didn’t touch – they were clearly after the cash.”
He is calling for anyone who might have seen anything suspicious to come forward and speak to detectives.
“If anyone might have seen anyone hanging about or acting suspicious please let the police know,” he said.
The Bungalow has been a feature of the Paisley music scene since the 1970s , when it became was the favoured stoppingoff place of some of Britain’s leading bands.
But its previous home in Renfrew Road met its end when more and more touring groups opted for bigger venues in nearby Glasgow.
It was reopened in 2013 in Shuttle Street but closed in April 2016, only to be brought back to life by Alan, who revamped the venue making it a popular spot for local bands and music fans.
Paisley Inspector Tracy Harkins, who is based at Paisley police office, says that enquiries are ongoing into the breakin and appealed for information to tack down the crooks.
She said: “The street would have been busy at the time of the break-in, so I would encourage anyone who saw or heard anything suspicious to get in touch with us on 101.” Home and business owners could soon be getting the builders in after submitting planning applications to Renfrewshire Council. The latest entries include: The construction of a cycleway and bridge with associated landscaping and ancillary infrastructure at a site 250 metres north of Inchinnan Bridge, Greenock Road, Inchinnan
The realignment of Abbotsinch Road, the construction of a bridge over the White Cart Water and the construction of cycleways, associated landscaping and ancillary infrastructure, and the stopping-up of consequential redundant sections of roads, footpaths and accesses at the Glasgow Airport Investment Area, Abbotsinch Road, Paisley
Erection of a combined heat and power plant and canopy over the loading area and alterations to the service yard and car park layout at Unit J, Braehead Retail Park, 110 King’s Inch Drive, Renfrew
Erection of boundary fence to side of 66 Garnie Avenue, Erskine
Erection of a single-storey extension to the side of 4 Woodend Drive, Paisley
Erection of a two-storey extension to the side of 28 Rosedale Avenue, Paisley
Ins t a l l at i o n o f a telecommunications mast and four equipment cabinets at Magnus Road, Houston
Display of two internally illuminated LED digital display screens and four internally illuminated supplementary signs at Advertising Station No 37, Renfrew Road, Paisley
Erection of a single-storey extension to the rear of 1 Rossland Gardens, Bishopton
Formation of three dormers on the rear elevation of 5 Stanely Drive, Paisley.