A Dundee charity has been targeted by vandals twice in the space of just five days, causing hundreds of pounds worth of damage.
A garage door leading to the building of the Ye Ancient Amphibious Bathing Association (YeAABA) was kicked in on Friday and again on Tuesday night.
A small fire was lit near the outside of the building and has also caused damage while youths have been spotted climbing on to the roof of the building in recent days.
The Broughty Ferry club, which teaches open-water swimming, is facing a bill of around £600 to twice repair the roller shutter.
A spokesperson for the club, who did not want to be named, said the incidents have left the organisation struggling to cope.
She said: “We are well past breaking point now. The damage is just so frustrating. A resident living close to the building said she saw a young man running and kicking the door at full force.
“She said there were around 40 youths around at the time causing bother.
“She even reported seeing a man standing on the roof of the building, who pulled down his shorts, exposing himself to the others.
“We, of course, considered raising this issue publicly after the first vandalism because of the cost to us but we didn’t want repercussions.
“I just feel we have to speak out now. It’s worse than the last time — I think possibly because the structure has been weakened from the past damage.
“The company who fixed it the first time said that it clearly isn’t a break-in because they haven’t damaged it from the bottom.”
As well as teaching, the 134-year-old Beach Crescent-based charity, organises open-water swimming trips across the UK.
It also organises the famous Broughty Ferry New Year’s Day Dook, which sees hundreds of hardy souls brave the freezing temperatures of the North Sea.
The spokesperson added the charity’s funds are being “wasted” by the vandalism.
She said: “We could be using this money for teaching more people or training but instead it’s going towards this sort of thing.
“We are constantly having to deal with incidents. The safety hook, which is used to reach swimmers in difficulty, has even been thrown in the water again.
“That’s putting lives at risk — it’s really important if someone falls in the water.
“There have been so many incidents recently. Someone was burning something at the back of the building which smelled awful. We have found needles there too.
“It’s really not a good image for the Ferry. It’s a public space outside the building so we know we can’t stop people from being there but something needs to be done.”
A spokesperson for Police Scotland said the force has not received any reports of vandalism at the organisation.
