Vandals target Impala Drive

Target acquired.

Impala Drive has apparently become ground zero for a group of vandals with nothing but destruction in mind.

On Tuesday, November 25, a resident witnessed the blatant disregard of four teenagers wearing hoodies on skateboards.

“I was driving home from work at about 10.30pm when I saw the boys breaking intercoms and real estate signs. They broke the boards across their knees without thinking about who might be watching,” said the shocked resident.

Linda Smith, owner of Seeff Newcastle, said the vandalism seemed only to affect her business. “We have noticed that other real estate boards are still standing,” she said. “It is a costly affair for us and an eyesore on our clients property.”

The resident who witnessed the destruction explained it wasn’t the first time she had seen the same teenagers ‘messing around’ in the area before. She said that while she did not know where they live, she believed their regular presence in the area probably meant they lived nearby.

“They’re known for making a noise and disturbing the peace in and around Impala Drive. I’ve seen them a few times. They often tease our dogs and have become a bit of nuisance.”

Although the teenagers aren’t always an issue, the destruction of property is a serious offence nonetheless. The resident believed the boys were between the ages of 16 and 18 years old.

“Where are their parents? I think parents in general need to be more aware of the whereabouts of their children!” she exclaimed. “Children are prone to wreak havoc during the holiday season simply because they’re bored.”

Ms Smith continued: “It has become a huge problem for us, but we just live with it now. We don’t know who removes or damages the boards. It could be anyone from naughty kids to people collecting scrap metal.”

Here’s what local real estate agencies had to say:

Pam Golding: “It’s been happening for years now. We have no way to stop people from vandalising the boards. It costs us a lot of money, but we are willing to offer a reward to anyone who can provide us with proof that would lead to the arrest of the vandals.”

Harcourts: “We used to have a problem with people removing our boards, but found out later that the municipality had been removing them. We are currently not experiencing any problems with the matter.”

Allied Real Estate: “We don’t have a major crisis with the matter, but we do experience it more during the festive season. It could be children that are free during the holidays who are doing it.”

Remax: “The problem has slowed down, but it used to be rife a while ago. Agents and the community have begun to respect each other.”

Official comment from the Newcastle SAPS was not available at the time of going to print.