Police say the front windows of the St Vincent De Paul store on Tapio Street were smashed some time between 11am on Tuesday and 9am on Wednesday.

Volunteers received a rude shock upon returning to the store yesterday morning when they discovered the broken windows as well as graffiti of a snake on the toilet door along with obscene words.

While no property was stolen from the premises, it is not the first time the shop has been targeted in recent times.

A volunteer, who was too distressed to reveal her identity, said Vinnies’ door had also been damaged on Boxing Day.

“I’m fed up with it – this is just unreal and the police can only do so much,” she said.

“The kids even know where you live around here and break into your homes.

“One day last year, I was sitting in the shop and a kid threw a torch through the window at two in the afternoon.”

A loyal customer of four years, who wished to remain anonymous, exclaimed: “No, not again” while arriving at the store yesterday

afternoon.

“This charity shop is here for everyone and we are all utterly disgusted,” she said.

“Damage was done here the week before last.

“I live on a little street with 22 homes and 14 of those have been broken into – three of them twice”.

Further up the road, Dareton Mini Mart also had its windows smashed at a cost of $1000 to its owners.

Detective Inspector Mick Stoltenberg said the vandalism was “very disappointing for the community and police”.

“To think that these cowards would stoop as low as to damage the window of Vinnies,” Insp Stoltenberg said.

“They are shops that are generally run by volunteers out of goodwill and, more than likely, either the people who committed the crime or a family member have used them in the past for support.”

Information about these incidents can be reported to Dareton Police on 5027 7599 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

This article appeared in Thursday's Sunraysia Daily 2-2-2012.