A CLYDEBANK dementia centre has stepped up security to safeguard their minibus after it was trashed by vandals.

As reported in last week’s Post, the bus windows were smashed in a sickening attack while it was parked overnight at Alzheimer Scotland’s Resource Centre in Miller Street.

As a consequence, vulnerable service users were denied use of the bus for three days while it was off the road for repairs costing between £600 and £700.

Now, in a bid to stop further attacks, the bus no longer sits in the rear car park of the centre at night and is parked elsewhere.

Alastair Black, the centre’s service manager, told the Post: “We couldn’t risk leaving it in the car park behind the centre at night, so we are parking it at another location.

“However, this is a long way away which is inconvenient. It means having to pick it up in the morning and returning it at night. This is a permanent arrangement and we can’t do anything about it.”

The police believe new planters placed in the centre’s garden were used to smash three of the bus windows in the early hours of August 22.

Staff shocked and saddened by the attack took heart, however, from many messages of support that flooded in on social media.

Mr Black added: “We were overwhelmed by the support shown to us. There was both outrage and sympathy in the community that a service like this could be targeted in this way.”

The bus is used Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays to transport service users to and from the Clydebank centre.

Meanwhile, plans are well under way for a “Purple Party”at the Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel on November 11.

Tickets costing £35 per person can be bought by calling 0141 410 5303/5304.

Organisers say donations for raffle prizes, or bigger ones for the auction, would be greatly appreciated.