A GROUP of trustees said they are 'absolutely gutted' after a community hall in Highbridge which they oversee was attacked by vandals.

Volunteers who maintain Southwell House & Gardens in Highbridge were shocked this week when they discovered that two of the hall's windows had been smashed by a ball bearing (BB) gun.

Last month Highbridge Memorial Trust, which looks after the hall, launched an appeal to raise £2,500 to carry out works to the building after not being given Government funding when coronavirus hit the UK.

Sharon Reid, secretary of Highbridge War Memorial Trust said it is the third time the hall has been damaged by vandals since the beginning of lockdown.

"We are absolutely gutted. The GoFundMe fundraiser ended this week and raised £940 and then this happens - it's the third time since lockdown started," Sharon said.

"We have not been able to get £10,000 of village hall funding and have been turned down recently by the town council as we are not Covid-19 involved. We have to reapply again in September.

"Three volunteers through June have turned up every other day and stayed three or four hours each visit and decorated the whole of the inside and a volunteer gardener has been working on the sunken gardens.

"At present I'm sewing new window coverings and all this hard work get marred by this mindless act."

Sharon said trustees have been 'disheartened' by the incident and she is due to meet with police this week to discuss the vandalism.

"I have been involved with the charity for nearly seven years and never seen any vandalism in all that time," Sharon said.

"As secretary being a volunteer and still working its disheartening and very hard work made especially concerning at this present time.

"Its looking very unlikely that a good few of our groups will not be re-hiring the hall now until the new year. It's a massive worry to the trustees."