Downpatrick and County Down Railway appeals for information after gang of youths cause major damage to vintage steam train

The PSNI said that entry was gained to the site of Downpatrick and County Down Railway at Market Street, and a number of historical carriages had been damaged on Friday afternoon.

"This act of wanton vandalism has been extremely distressing for the volunteers at the museum, who spend so much time and effort doing good in their community," police said. "This is in stark contrast to the actions of those responsible.”

Police appealed to anyone with information to call them on tel 101, quoting ref 642-21/09/24.

Downpatrick and County Down Railway said in a statement that it is "heartbroken" to capture “a senseless act of vandalism” on its CCTV cameras.

"They [the youths] filmed themselves hurling a brick through one of the carriage windows, before forcing their way inside by smashing down a locked door. This callous behaviour resulted in damage to all three of our vintage steam-hauled carriages.

"We are particularly interested in information about the two ringleaders of the group of vandals. One was wearing a black hoodie, black trousers, black Nike shoes, and black gloves, and had dark hair with blonde highlights. The other was wearing a grey sweatshirt, black trousers, and white shoes, with dark curly or wavy hair.”

"Our volunteers, who contribute so much to the Downpatrick community and have worked so hard to repair last year’s flood damage, are absolutely devastated that their hard work has again been set back by pointless destruction."

Donations can be made at: https://www.facebook.com/downrail

This afternoon the PSNI issued an update to say that they had cautioned a boy, aged 16, for criminal damage this morning. They reiterated their appeal for informaiton on other suspects.