Charity in shock after vandals terrorise nuns

VANDALS have terrified nuns and caused thousands of pounds worth of damage in THREE attacks on a religious charity.

In the latest in a spate of break-ins and graffiti attacks on the Institute of St Anselm’s, mindless yobs flooded newly renovated Cumberland Lodge in Cumberland Road, Cliftonville.

New ceilings, carpets and electric wiring were wrecked when the vandals turned on the taps and scarpered, leaving water seeping through the ceilings on Wednesday night.

The lodge is just one of about 10 buildings in Margate owned by the institute.

Paul Konec, voluntary property manager, said: "The lodge had just been finished that day. The institute had spent more than £200,000 on renovations and the developers were due to hand the keys over the next morning. Burglars turned on taps at the top of the building and blocked the sink and flooded the whole building.

"The damage is devastating."

At 3am the same night, nuns were frightened when two men dressed in black broke through the window of their residence at St Mary’s in Edgar Road.

Insitute registrar Claire McGuire, 48, said: "Two of our nuns were staying at St Mary’s and I got a phone call from Sister Christina saying she could see someone smashing a window downstairs.

"I ran straight over without thinking twice and went inside to get them out safely but couldn’t find them. I got so frightened that something might have happened to them. Thankfully they were both hiding upstairs. The police were there within seconds and I can’t praise them enough. They were so supportive."

Unfortunately, the men managed to escape.

The institute, which has been in Thanet for more than 20 years, provides leadership training for Catholic and Anglican bishops, priests, nuns and also lay people from around the world. It currently has mature students from 28 countries.

Mr Konec said: "There have been three attacks now. Our headquarters the Lonsdale Hotel on Norfolk Road was vandalised just a few days after they moved there a few weeks ago. Paint and varnish were daubed all over the main entrance and windows at about 8.30pm one evening.

"Cumberland Lodge had just been rewired, repainted and new carpets put down. These vandals completely wrecked it the minute work was finished.

"It’s so sad that such a good and harmless charity is being attacked like this."

When asked what he thought the motive was, he said: "These are three separate events. It could be a lot of different things. The institute has moved from Edgar Road to Norfolk Road and there’s a real problem with empty buildings in Edgar Road. In the area it’s been quite difficult to find uses for the buildings and it has been a cause of concern."

Devastated Father Len Kofler, 73, founder and director of the institute, said: "The building was supposed to be handed over to us at midday on Thursday. It was the builder’s 37th birthday and he wanted to hand it over to me that day as a present.

"Luckily the electricity hadn’t been connected or the whole place could have gone up in flames.

"With the two events together on one night, I felt paralysed with shock. I couldn’t even work. What upset me most was the maliciousness of it, damage for damage’s sake.

"We can only guess at the motive. Perhaps someone broke in and couldn’t find what they were looking for and got angry. It might be a personal attack or a racist attack but we’ve been here for 23 years and have had very little problem with that in the past. We have no idea."

Police are investigating. Anyone with information should call 01843 231055. The neighbourhood watch officer can be called on 01622 690690.