BURGLARS have targetted a community COVID-19 vaccination centre run by volunteers based at Warrington Islamic Centre causing hundreds of pounds worth of damage.
The premises at Bewsey was targetted on Friday evening, and although four young men were caught by police they were released without charge due to lack of evidence. But they were issued with Fixed Penalty Notices for breaching lockdown restrictions.
CCTV footage picked up images of one person in the area where a vaccination programme is being run by Orford Pharmacy with the support of volunteers from the Islamic Centre.
Mo Hussain, a Trustee at the Islamic Centre said: “In all the years we have run the centre we have never had a break-in at the community centre side. We’ve had a few break-ins at the mosque next door, but never the community centre.
“We can only presume because there are lots of signs saying it as a vaccination centre that the burglars were after vaccine stock.
“One person was seen on CCTV footage at around 8pm on Friday evening in the kitchen area but they didn’t get away with anything as no stock is left on the premises over night.
“But they did cause quite a bit of damage which is going to cost us a few hundred pounds to repair and to improve security.”
With the centre currently closed, it was decided it would be the ideal venue to provide a community vaccination centre run by Orford Pharmacy.
Mo added: “This is very disappointing after all the great feedback we have been getting from people about how well the vaccination centre is being run by our volunteers.
“You try your best to help the local community and then you get targeted by burglars.
“Four lads were caught on the car park at around 10.30pm by police but there was no evidence to prosecute them. But they did get fixed penalty notices for breaching lockdown rules when they told police they were just meeting up on the car park.
“It seems a strange place to meet at that time of night but because the CCTV footage only showed someone in the building earlier there was no evidence to prosecute them.”
Despite the break-in it will be business as usual tomorrow.
COVID-19 infection rate continues to fall as 96 new cases confirmed in Warrington
