Bad lads wreck Smiths club

Caroline Jack

July 05, 2007

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Leslie Holmes at Salford lads club where lead has been taken from the roof resulting in the club leaking

THE restoration of the iconic Salford Lads Club has been wrecked after thieves climbed scaffolding to steal guttering and lead from the roof.

The Grade II listed club was left open to the elements with heavy rain pouring inside.

Volunteers and contractors have been working since Tuesday to bail rain water out of the boxing ring where plasterwork and wooden panelling has been ruined.

The damage is a massive setback for the restoration of the building, which featured on the cover of The Smiths 1986 album The Queen Is Dead. The club has now used some of the £250,000 restoration fund to pay a security firm to monitor the site on St Ignatius Walk, Ordsall.

Project manager Leslie Holmes said the theft was very distressing and had added thousands of pounds to the overall cost.

He said: "We were about to start work on the roof and all the scaffolding had just been put up. When the roofers arrived on site on Tuesday they thought they could hear a tap running inside, but it was rain water pouring through the roof.

"We've spent days mopping up. It's not necessarily the value of the materials stolen that's the problem, but the cost of repairing the damage and hiring security. It'll be a real drain on the funds."

Club honorary secretary Brian Ball added: "We are devastated by this criminal act. Essentially, the thieves have stolen from Ordsall kids' futures."

The club needs £1m for repairs and upgrades. It is one of the few original lads' clubs still standing in England and is virtually unchanged with original fittings including a boxing ring, snooker rooms and a brick-walled gym with a viewing balcony.

It falls within a regeneration area and developers LPC Living helped raise the first £250,000 for the roofing work.

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jsac1984 (05/07/2007 at 09:04)

and i bet the scum that stole the stuff will be moaning if this cant get the extra funding , and doesnt end up being a part of Salford again

Bill, Kiriat Motzkin (05/07/2007 at 11:23)

Somebody in Ordsall is a thief?

The Catcher, In the Rye (05/07/2007 at 12:26)

I say bring back the birch but no doubt one of our more liberal contributors will say that doesn't work - but then fail to suggest an alternaive. I hope they get things sorted out.

AH, Manchester (05/07/2007 at 12:44)

I am getting really fed up with hearing about things happening like this. Soon it wont be worth having nice stuff or even stuff because someone will nick it or ruin it. Those who abide by the law will be locked up for their own safety whilst the scum of the earth will be left to roam.

Dawn Lonergan (05/07/2007 at 12:52)

Chav city! So what's new?!

CatB (05/07/2007 at 13:03)

Tsk tsk...is nothing sacred? Heaven knows I'm miserable now.

Letsjumship, Roe Green (05/07/2007 at 13:11)

This will be the usual lobotomised druggy scum who rob anything to get a fix.
It's about time the Government set up SAS as dealers in problem areas and dealt out heroin and crack coke laced with cyanide.
That would rid us all of this eternal pestilence.
Would you shed a tear? Me neither.

Bejjy ex Salford now Malta (05/07/2007 at 14:00)

The Salford Lads (and now also Girls) Club has been a resource for the young people of Salford since 1903 and where many have learned valuable life skills. Then along comes a moron or, more likely morons as they can't think for themselves and act like sheep to destroy something that a lot of young people get pleasure from. It is ironic isn't it that the people who have caused all this damage (probably for drug money) are the same people who when caught cry that they take drugs and behave in the way that they do because they are "bored" and have nothing to do. I would urge the decent young people of Salford (and that is the majority) to inform the police if they know who was responsible for this mindless act of vandalism on what is their club.

Mattherw Wright (05/07/2007 at 14:27)

It amazes me how people are shocked and taken back by these things. It happens all the time does no-one watch the news. Scaffolding gets put up if its covered the homeless sleep on it and drug users use it for drugs it gets stolen if they can get up to the roof to steal the tiles it will happen.

This is not the 1950s Wake up

BlueBoy1, bolton (05/07/2007 at 16:03)

Unusual for a theft to occur in Salford - I can only presume that it was carried out by an apprentice who hasn't progressed to car theft yet!!! They should get jobs and leave the rest of us hard working people alone - Salford scum!!

Kevin From Hulme (05/07/2007 at 19:46)

This ain't you Kids or Car thiefs that nicked it, it will be a few Guys that go around drinking White Lightning Cider, they wont even know what day it is, there only Ametuers, kids at 14/15/16 around ordsall are into bigger things.
It might be worth checking the Scrap yard Camera on Liverpool st near the Gas works, alkys are that thick and desperate, they would not cop that on.

Pravda (06/07/2007 at 02:27)

Blueboy1,Bolton. And of course in the areas of Farnworth,Deane,Halliwell,Breightmet and johnson fold they are akin to Beverly Hills. Think before you tar everyone with the Salford scum brush will you. Bolton has it's fair share!
As an ex member of the club i'm as peeved as the next man.

ALFIE (07/07/2007 at 13:06)

blueboy bolton .
Bolton is a scum hole full of smackheads,dont tar salford a nicer cleaner place than your hole of a place.

Mike S, Manchester (09/07/2007 at 10:07)

I doubt it was just your average bunch of scallies, who probably don't know the value of lead or where to weigh it in - they probably don't even know what lead is! More likely this was done by a more sophisticated bunch of criminals, who may or may not be from Salford.

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