A Dundee swimming club is set to have CCTV installed in a bid to deter vandals who have continually targeted its clubhouse.
The premises of Ye Amphibious Ancients Bathing Association in Broughty Ferry have been repeatedly defaced by offensive graffiti, with the most recent attack occurring a few weeks ago.
President Joyce McIntosh was worried the constant need to redecorate could threaten the club’s financial future but, thanks to the generosity of a former member, the club is now able to install security cameras at a reduced cost.
Ms McIntosh said, “After the last incident happened, I got a call from a guy called Bill Rodger who used to swim with us in the 1980s.
“He now owns a CCTV camera business and kindly offered to install cameras for us at 50% of the cost.
“I don’t want to say that this will make the problem stop because it might not but hopefully it will act as a deterrent to those who have vandalised the clubhouse, because we think it’s the same people who keep doing it.”
Ms McIntosh said the cut-price offer helped, but added, “I would still rather channel the money into the club and the development of younger swimmers.
“But we can’t have the clubhouse looking shabby. We get swimmers coming from as far as Belgium and the USA to take part in competitions here and it gives a really bad impression.
“I think we’re going to fund-raise for the money. We’ve already arranged a bingo night in Whitfield for the end of the month.”
Ms McIntosh said the problem got so bad that at one stage the club considered asking professional graffiti artists to paint the exterior of the building.
However she said, “We felt that this would be condoning the behaviour of the vandals.
“It really is so distasteful.”