Twenty vehicles vandalised in Severn Valley Railway wrecking spree

Volunteers who left their cars and vans in the Bridgnorth car park returned to find their windows smashed and personal possessions stolen.

The SVR's buffet restaurant was also targeted, leaving a smashed window and glass scattered across the tables.

It is the worst case of vandalism to hit the line in 40 years.

The vandals struck sometime between midnight on Friday and 6am the following the day.

Volunteers had come to work on the heritage line over the weekend from as far as Stockport and Sheffield.

Chris Thomas, assistant railway manager and operations director at the SVR, said: "It happened sometime during the night but we don't know when.

"Some people entered the station and broke into 20 cars. In many cases they didn't just break one window, they broke all four.

"They also targeted the station buffet and pinched a lot of the private owner's personal possessions.

"I've not seen anything like this in 40 years.

"The buffet's been broken into before but we've never had that many cars vandalised.

"The public side of the restaurant only opened at about 1pm after we'd finished sweeping up all the broken glass.

"Every single one of the cars were owned by volunteers, the people who work for free to keep this place going.

"The van belonging to the Permanent Way Department, who maintain the track, had its windows smashed and tools taken.

"There was also a large group from waterway recovery department, who usually work in the canals.

"They had come for one day to help out with concrete and civil engineering work, and all their cars were damaged too."

Gary Townley, a train driver who had travelled from Stockport for the weekend, said all four of his windows had been smashed.

He said: "I got a call at 7am Saturday morning saying some cars had been done.

"They put all the windows through but not only that they had taken the face of the radio and the sat nav, but not the instructions, and a mobile.

"My credit cards are all there, my work keys, my Timberland boots and even my Ray-Ban sunglasses.

"It seems that every volunteer who works here was targeted.

"One volunteer has had to travel all the way back to Sheffield this morning to sort his car out."

John Brand, who volunteers as a guard, had travelled from Birkenhead to begin work on the SVR's grotto at its Arley station, but the work had been put back by a week.

"It's the inconvenience that's more annoying than anything else," he said.

"They stole my sat nav and mobile and even took out my wash bag.

"This weekend has been completely wasted because we normally start setting up the grotto."

Lesley Williams, force duty inspector at West Mercia Police, said "The vandals smashed car windows and the actual building was targeted as well.

"Forensics have been requested to see if we have got anything."

Witnesses can contact police on 101.