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Age UK Sheppey in Trinity Road targeted by intruder who smashed window and defecated in garden

By: Megan Carr mcarr@thekmgroup.co.uk

Published: 12:00, 12 October 2023

Updated: 13:09, 12 October 2023

An intruder who defecated on a charity’s property also smashed a window and wrecked a staff room.

Age UK Sheppey, along Trinity Road in Sheerness, had to close its outdoor space to elderly clients after someone left a stink in its newly refurbished £7,500 garden.

The trashed staff room at Rosemary House. Picture: Age UK

Lesley Nowell, chief executive of the Rosemary Centre, was left saddened by the incident.

She said: “Someone broke through the back window and trashed the staff room.

“There was glass everywhere and we also had to close our garden to clients as the person who broke in also defecated there.

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“They also took wipes from the staff room to clean themselves up with after they’d done their business.

“If they’d broken in just to get those wipes after they’ve been to the toilet outside you’d hoped they would have broken in to use the loo – it’s bizarre.

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The intruder broke a sash window at Rosemary House. Picture: Age UK

“Luckily a sensor kicked off in the hallway and set off an alarm which scared the person away.”

Lesley, who has been with the charity for a year, was the one left to clean up the human waste.

“It happened at around 5.30pm on Sunday, October 8, an hour and a half after we’d closed.

“However, it was only on Tuesday that I was able to bring myself to clean up the faeces in the garden that they left behind. We are going to be installing CCTV as a result.

“It’s like we're being targeted at the end of Trinity Road. It was only recently that someone started a fire in the old library next to us.”

The smashed window at Age UK Sheppey. Picture: Age UK

At the end of July police began investigating suspected arson at the former library along the road.

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Fire crews were called to a blaze at the derelict building at 2.50pm on July 29.

It broke out on the ground floor and a full search of the building was carried out.

It’s believed the fire was started deliberately.

Lesley continued: “Nothing like this has happened in our centre before but things like the deliberately started fire have happened near us.

Rosemary House in Sheerness. Picture: Google Maps

“We’d just had our garden redone as well and had to close it for a couple of days while we dealt with the mess.

“It cost us £7,500 to do so it was disappointing that our clients couldn’t use it for a short period.”

The window which was smashed was an old sash window and as a result Age UK will need to have a specialist fix it.

Not only is this expected to be a hefty bill but Lesley also has to find the money for the boarding up of the window that police arranged.

She said: “We’re really struggling with finding money at the moment as KCC dropped our funding.

The refurbished garden at Age UK Sheppey. Picture: Age UK

“The money we had we were going to use on umbrellas and cushions for the garden but now we need that money for the window. It’s just sad.”

She explained that whoever broke into the charity also cut their hands and left blood and footprints on the chairs.

A police spokesman said: “Officers are investigating a burglary at a commercial premise which is alleged to have happened in Trinity Road, Sheerness, at around 5.45pm on October 8.

“A window was reported to have been broken during the incident. Enquiries are ongoing to establish if anything was stolen and to identify any suspects.”

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