A WARD councillor has criticised vandals who damaged a glass pane in the front door of Liden Library over the bank holiday weekend.

Wiltshire Police are appealing for witnesses after someone smashed a panel in the library, in Liden Village Centre, overnight between Friday, May 24 and Saturday, May 25. Yesterday, the damage was boarded up.

Coun Derique Montaut (Lab, Liden, Eldene and Park South) said it was the third such attack at the library in recent months.

He said it could set back his campaign to agree funding to provide youth facilities and a community hub at a hall next to the library.

The Adver reported in February 2012 that Swindon Council planned to spend £900,000 over two years to update six village centres, including Liden.

Since then, ward councillors for Liden have been discussing options for the area, including the installation of CCTV cameras.

Coun Montaut said: “I think they’re mindless individuals. They’re mindless in the sense that it’s their families that will have to pay a large price to maintain services to communities. Every penny counts at the moment.

“To do this is totally irresponsible and there’s no use in making excuses.

“There are no alternative facilities for teenagers and youths.

“We’re working extremely hard – they’re making this a lot harder.

“There should be some form of parental control that their youngsters are held in check to some extent – knowing where they are.

“There’s a history of young people being involved in anti-social behaviour in this area.”

Coun Montaut said the crime would also dent the campaign to save smaller libraries in Swindon.

The Conservative administration’s plans to cut staffed opening hours across all libraries by a total of 26 per cent were put aside at the budget meeting in February, but there are still fears they could re-emerge.

Coun Montaut said: “Having made the case for survival and looking at solutions to try and save libraries, because they’re part of the community, libraries are continuing to be vandalised.

“It doesn’t make that position any easier to make that case to the council on their importance.

“And local communities will pay the heavy price at the end, with the libraries closing.”

A Wiltshire Police spokes-man said: “Unknown suspects have caused a crack to a glass pane in the door of Liden Library.

“The damage occurred some time overnight.

“This has been tasked to the local neighbourhood policing team to investigate further.”

Anyone with information can call the force on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.