Building owned by Nottinghamshire County Council — Newark Library — being investigated by Nottinghamshire Police after being vandalised

A witness appeal has been launched after a library was victim to a ‘senseless act of destruction’.

Vandals smashed five windows on the roof of Newark Library this past weekend.

The discovery was made around 7.30am on Monday (29 April), with the incident believed to have taken place at some point overnight.

The library is currently closed for essential planned maintenance works to its heating and cooling system so no members of the public or staff were affected by the incident.

Nottinghamshire County Council, who own the building, are working closely with Nottinghamshire Police to find out more.

The scaffolding bars were found on the glass-covered floor on the inside of the library, having seemingly been thrown through the windows.

Despite the damage, police have so far found no clear evidence of anyone going inside the building.

Cabinet member for communities and public health at Nottinghamshire County Council, Scott Carlton said: “This senseless act of destruction has caused significant damage to five high level roof windows and additional damage to the building, equipment, and resources.

“Thankfully no one was working in the library at the time of the incident and we would like to assure residents that we are taking immediate and comprehensive actions to repair and restore the damaged areas.

“We have mobilised our maintenance team and external contractors to assess the damages and initiate the necessary repairs.

“We have also implemented temporary measures to ensure the safety and security of our premises until the permanent repairs are completed.”

Newark’s neighbourhood policing team have been conducting CCTV inquiries since then and have now launched a public appeal for more information.

Nottinghamshire Police will also be conducting CCTV inquiries and officers will be visiting the area as part of their visible patrols to prevent it from happening again.

Sergeant Rob Harrison, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Newark Library provides a valuable resource to the local community, so it’s very disappointing to see it get vandalised.

“It really should go without saying but there is absolutely no excuse for this type of behaviour, and we are in the process of investigating this incident to establish who was involved.

“Antisocial behaviour and criminal damage like this can have a real impact on residents, which is why targeting this has been a longstanding neighbourhood policing priority for us in Newark and Sherwood.”

The police is appealing to anyone who saw what happened or has any information that could assist the investigation to report it by calling 101, quoting incident 80 of 29 April 2024, or to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

The library is due to reopen to the public on Monday, June 3.