Vandals run riot in Ardleigh Vale

On the morning of Saturday last, June 12, residents of Ardleigh Vale estate in west Mullingar were shocked and angered to awake to the aftermath of an overnight rampage by vandals.Gardaí in Mullingar confirmed that "five or six" homes were hit by vandals, who unleashed a campaign of destruction against front walls and pillars in the estate between 10pm on Friday night, and 8am on Saturday morning.Caps on walls and pillars were overturned, resulting in thousands of euros of damage to properties in the estate.Gardaí have appealed to anyone who may have witnessed the vandalism to help them with their enquiries.Ardleigh wasn't the only area to see incidents of criminal damage in recent days.Gardaí are investigating an incident which occurred at The Jetty, Marketpoint, Mullingar on Friday, June 4, in which a window on the front door of the apartment complex was smashed.On Saturday last, June 12, the galvanised side of a warehouse premises at Lynn Industrial Estate, Mullingar was damaged maliciously, while between 8am and 12 noon on Monday last, the back window of a house was broken at the Great Oaks estate in the town. Gardaí found no evidence of entry to the building.Skip set on fireAt 4.20am on the morning of Sunday last, June 13, the contents of a skip belonging to Westmeath County Council were set alight at the local authority's machinery yard at Clonmore Industrial Estate.Gardaí are examining CCTV footage of the incident, to which members of Mullingar Fire Services were called.Meanwhile, last weekend, the side window of a bus was smashed at the Athlone Road, Kinnegad when a young male threw a stone at the vehicle.The culprit was later identified, and Gardaí in Kinnegad are preparing a file for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).