STAFF at Cwmbran’s Centre for Young People are devastated after being broken into, with thousands of pounds worth of damage being done.

Cwmbran’s Centre for Young People, which provides all kind of information and support to young people in Cwmbran, was broken into on Tuesday night, forcing them to close the centre and leave hundreds of youngsters without a place to go.

Every Wednesday night, the centre provides a meal for a hundred youngsters and food parcels for forty of them.

“It couldn’t have happened on a worse day, Wednesday is our big day,” said Joanne Phillis, project manager at Cwmbran Centre for Young People. “All these people won’t have somewhere to eat tonight.

“It’s not so much about what’s gone missing, these food parcels go out to people that really need them.

“It’s devastating.”

She said that thieves tried to get in through the girls’ toilet window, leaving glass everywhere. Because it was a small window, they got in via the kitchen.

Ms Phillis said that when staff got in this morning the kitchen window was wide open, the kitchen till was empty and one of the offices was a mess.

She said that all the draws in the office had been emptied, including the one with condoms for young people who want them, and that the break-in will cost the centre at least £5,000, as cupboards, windows and a door have been broken.

She said: “We don’t have expensive things here, it’s just really inconvenient.

“We may only have to close for a couple of days, but it’ll make a difference to the young people.

“There’s nowhere else like this here, this service is very much needed.

“It’s extremely frustrating, this is very close to our hearts.”

Ms Phillis said that 400 different young people visit the centre, which is open six days a week from 8am till 9.30pm, every week.

“The young people are very protective over the centre, it’s quite a shock that this has happened,” she said.