Vandals strike lifeguards' clubroom again

James Newell showing fire damage to the floor of the lifeguard building at Castlecliff beach. PHOTO/BEVAN CONLEY

Wanganui Surf Lifeguards are lucky to still have a clubroom after their building at Castlecliff beach was torched in the weekend.

Chairman James Newell said the fire that was lit in a corner of the ground-floor porch on Saturday night was just the latest in a long line of vandalism incidents at the building. The fire burnt through a section of the floor, but did not take hold.

"If this had happened in summer, we'd have lost the building for sure," Mr Newell said.

He said club members were getting frustrated by the increasing vandalism.

It's got so bad that Mr Newell no longer bothers to repair most of the damage - smashed doors and windows, graffiti and other damage.

He said it was "affecting the club's ability to do its job".

"Even though we have insurance, each time something happens our excess goes up and that costs the club money," Mr Newell said.

He said the club was hoping to attract sponsorship to help upgrade the clubrooms.

"But that's hard to do when the building looks like this."

Mr Newell urged anyone with information about the fire at the clubrooms to contact Whanganui Police on (06) 3490600.