Hole drilled into wall of Thatcham Broadway toilets as vandals strike again

A hole has been “drilled into the wall of the gents cubicle” of the toilets located in the Thatcham Broadway.

This is the second incident of vandalism this area has seen, in recent months, now costing the council a total of £400.

The act was discussed in a recreation and amenities committee meeting, held in late December.

The case was opened in late November, shortly after the same toilets were “deliberately flooded”.

Thatcham town councillors questioned the motivation's of such an “extraordinary” incident, as they tried to get their heads around how and why it happened.

One councillor said: “I take it that someone has actually walked in with a hand drill to the cubicle and drilled a hole in the wall.”

Another member said: “It beggars belief doesn’t it? What an extraordinary case.

“Do we need instructions on how to use the toilets?

“People drilling holes in the walls is extraordinary business.”

Action is being taken to fix the damaged area, costing the council £120.

A metal plate will now go over the top of the hole to cover the damage.

Councillors were assured that this would be a “successful” solution as it is something that has "happened before".

Earlier in November, the council was informed of the “deliberate flooding” which occurred in the same location.

In this incident, the toilets were “jammed up” with toilet paper in an “attempt” to flood them.

Councillor Jeremy Cottom (Lib Dem, North East) had said: “It’s very sad that people feel the need to do these stupid actions.”

The flooding resulted in a £280 clean-up and the chamber discussed the need for changes to the current facilities.

Thatcham Mayor John Boyd suggested the installation of automatic taps that switch themselves off, in an attempt to avoid a repeat of such incidents.