Historic theatre vandalised

BY Paul Fahy

John Comelli outside the vandalised Anita's Theatre.

WHEN John Comelli first saw the destruction at his beloved Anita's Theatre last week he sat on the footpath and wept.

The historic theatre complex had become the latest target in the rampage of vandalism overrunning Thirroul and the local developer arrived to find obscenities scratched across the windows and tiles of his building.

With the repair bill expected to reach more than $25,000, Mr Comelli has vowed to do all he can to bring the offenders to justice. He is offering a $10,000 reward for any information that leads to a conviction.

"We've had enough - it's like a town under siege," Mr Comelli said.

"Thirroul is being targeted by a group of vandals who are systematically doing thousands and thousands of dollars damage week after week."

Vandals have attacked businesses and houses throughout Thirroul over the past year. Several businesses and a residential apartment block had windows smashed and smeared with graffiti in January.

The Thirroul Village Shopping Plaza has also been hit on numerous occasions, with vandals hurling ballast from the nearby railway line.

Last week's attack on the theatre complex is thought to have occurred in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Using a cutting tool, vandals scratched the windows and tiles of every shopfront in the complex with the exception of the ANZ Bank, which was protected by security cameras. Mr Comelli said the destruction would delay the painstaking restoration of the theatre dedicated to his wife Anita by at least a month.

He plans to install additional security cameras around the complex to prevent future attacks. "We will cover the suburb in video cameras," Mr Comelli said.

He has also written to Police Commissioner Ken Moroney, demanding a greater police presence in the region. "I have nothing but praise for the police, but we need more of them," Mr Comelli said.

"The police presence in the northern suburbs is almost zero."

Wollongong police are investigating last week's attack and have been given footage from the ANZ security cameras in the hope of identifying any offenders.

Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact the police on 4226 7899.

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