The youths, one wearing a Stockland Green School uniform, were caught on CCTV causing widespread damage to businesses ar the Chester Road Station Industrial Estate in Erdington, near Wylde Green in Sutton Coldfield

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‘Mindless’ yobs, believed to be schoolboys, have caused thousands of pounds worth of damage after going on a wrecking spree at a Birmingham industrial park. The youths, some wearing school uniform, went to Chester Road Station Industrial Estate in Erdington last weekend causing wanton damage to business premises.

The young vandals arrived at the site, which sits on the opposite side of Chester Road to the station, at around 5pm on Friday (September 16). They went on top of the roof of GM Building & Property Services damaging the fabric of the building.

They also broke a camera and are believed to have smashed the windscreen of a parked road sweeper, belonging to a neighbouring business. The group also damaged another premises including breaking an electronic doorbell.

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The group of six returned on Saturday (September 17) at 4.20pm and carried on vandalising the site. Over the space of the two visits, businesses have suffered thousands of pounds worth of damage.

They were caught on CCTV cameras and one among them is seen wearing a uniform from Stockland Green School. We are unable to show the suspects' faces due to legal reasons.

The owner of GM Building Property Services, who asked not to be named, described the vandals as ‘scumbags’.

He told BirminghamLive: “They came Friday (September 16) and came again on Saturday (September 17) to our business which is behind the big white building on Chester Road.

“They got up on the roof and started pulling cables and pipes. A road sweeping company behind us, they had their windscreen smashed.

“Another business, Chellserv, their premises was damaged, they pulled bits of the building, including breaking an electronic doorbell. To me personally, it’s caused a grand’s worth of damage but we will stomach the damage ourselves as we are builders. It was just mindless vandalism. Senseless, silly stuff. They are scumbags.”

The 51-year-old business owner, who lives in Sutton Coldfield, said he was alerted on Monday (September 19) night, the day of the Queen’s funeral. He said: “I only found out on Monday evening when I noticed one of my cameras wasn’t working. We have got CCTV footage of them here on Friday and here on Saturday.

“There were six on Friday and six on Saturday and although you could not see them as well on Saturday as they were more covered up. One had the same coat on. I have got a feeling it was the same people.

“They broke a camera but we had another one. They may not have realised one was a CCTV camera. You see a foot coming down on it.

“The police came 10 minutes after it happened on Saturday. All I have done is spoke to the police and given them what I we have got. We have also approached Stockland Green School as a boy in their uniform is on camera.”

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And the effect was to disrupt the business doing its job of doing refurbishment work at hospitals including in West Heath, Moseley Hall and Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield. We spent so much time going through the CCTV to provide to the police it affected us doing our work on Tuesday (September 20).”

GM Building & Property Services has been operating from the industrial park for more than 10 years and never had anything like this happen. Asked what he would like to see happen to those responsible, the owner said: “If I’m being totally truthful, I’m not angry. I’d like them to see their path isn’t in vandalism or destruction.

“I’d like them to find a path where they can live a good life rather than a bad life. If they have to have a brush on the collar from a copper, so be it.”

A spokeswoman for Stockland Green School said: “We are aware of this incident and we are working with the police while they look into the matter.”

A spokesman for West Midlands Police added: “We've received reports of criminal damage at business premises in Chester Road, Erdington, between 16 and 17 September. Anyone with information can contact us via Live Chat on our website and quote 20/822035/22.”

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