A MINIBUS used by a charity who transport older people to activity clubs in Monmouthshire has been vandalised.

The side panels were kicked in on the custom-built Age Cymru Gwent minibus, and the vandals put broken glass bottles under the tyres while the it was parked outside the Abergavenny Community Centre.

Simon Harburt, an Age Cymru Gwent club co-ordinator, described the bus as a “lifeline” in tackling loneliness and social isolation.

“We provide an invaluable service and the minibus is a means for older people to get out and enjoy their independence,” he said.

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This is the second time one of the charity’s buses has been vandalised – an older vehicle was damaged several years ago and rendered useless.

“Our main worry is that [the new minibus] will become damaged similarly to the old bus and stop us in continuing to provide this essential community support network,” Mr Harburt said.

The brand-new bus was unveiled by Monmouth MP David Davies in June 2019.

Age Cymru Gwent invested in the bus to transport older residents around the county and deliver them to local clubs, such as the popular Monday lunch club at St Michael’s Centre in Abergavenny.

“It is a real shame that somebody is trying to vandalise this vital community resource and I am very sad to learn that people would behave with such mindless disregard for others,” Mr Davies said following news of the recent vandalism.

“I hope whoever is responsible thinks very carefully about their actions.”

The MP and the charity are now launching a local appeal for an alternative parking spot in the hope of preventing further damage to the bus.

“I was therefore wondering if there is a kind-hearted person with a bit of spare ground within a five-mile radius of Abergavenny who would be happy for us to park the bus there instead,” Mr Harburt said.

Age Cymru Gwent’s chief executive, Eileen Powell, said any prospective site would need to be “out of harm’s way” and readily accessible for staff on a daily basis.

Anyone who is interested in providing the charity with a new home for its minibus can email Mr Davies at david.davies.mp@parliament.uk