A SIXTEEN-year-old has been cautioned for criminal damage following a “heartbreaking” incident of vandalism at Downpatrick and County Down Railway.
He was cautioned, on Monday morning, following the incident at the heritage railway on Friday afternoon, during which its steam train carriages, used for trips, were damaged.
Railway chairman, Robert Gardiner, said the damage was carried out within the space of an hour, resulting in a hefty repair bill for the attraction.
The heritage railway is still recovering from last autumn’s floods, which swamped huge swathes of Downpatrick, including its station and lines.
One of the carriages to bear the brunt of the attack, made in 1955, had only recently been restored.
The railway just recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of its line being opened between Downpatrick and Inch Abbey.
However, Robert said the community support which came to the fore following the incident has bolstered the railway volunteers at what was “a very sad and heartbreaking time”.
The heritage railway is still waiting on the go-ahead to reopen after last year’s devastation, with its team of volunteers working away in the background, hoping for a Halloween reopening.
It has already received around £2,500 in donations to help repair the historic train carriages targeted on Friday, with Mr Gardiner describing the community’s response as “overwhelming” and “heartening”.
He also took the opportunity to thank police for their “swift response”, and said he hoped that, with one teenager having already been spoken with, it sends out a clear message that “things like this will not be tolerated in Downpatrick”.
At the time of the incident images shared by the railway, and a subsequent statement from the PSNI, confirmed that “a number of historical carriages” had been damaged.
A local police inspector described what happened as an “act of wanton vandalism” which “has been extremely distressing for the volunteers at the museum, who spend so much time and effort doing good in their community”.
The heritage railway chairman added that the “scale of the response from people across Northern Ireland and beyond has been extremely heartwarming”.
Police, who have reiterated their appeal for anyone with information about the incident to come forward, confirmed that the 16-year-old boy had been “cautioned for criminal damage” on Monday morning.
A spokeswoman said: “Police investigating a report of criminal damage caused to train carriages at a museum in Downpatrick on Friday (20th September) have cautioned a teenage boy.
“The boy, aged 16, was cautioned for criminal damage.
“Enquiries are ongoing to identify the other suspects and we would reiterate our appeal for information and ask anyone who can assist to contact Police on 101 and quote reference 642 of 21/09/24.”
Local MLA, Andrew McMurray, raised the matter at the Assembly at the start of the week.
He said the incident was “an unbelievably depressing setback for the museum and volunteer group, who were just getting back on top of things after the floods of last year also caused a significant amount of damage”.
Commending the railway’s volunteers for their “dedication”, Mr McMurray said much of their hard work and effort was “undone in a matter of mindless minutes”.
He also thanked police and the community response which, he added, had “uplifted” the mood.