Teen thugs target OAP as window smashed four times
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Colin Hairs has lived in his Mountcastle Terrace home for 45 years and says teenagers have a vendetta against him and his family.
The 74-year-old has spent thousands in reinforced glass and a state-of-the-art CCTV as preventative measures with no avail, leaving him at the end of his tether.
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Hide AdThe feud began back in March when one of Mr Hairs’ sons confronted the boys who were making snowballs in their front garden. Ever since the duo, believed to be aged between 15 and 17, have been terrorising the family, smashing bedroom windows costing him £265 each time to replace.
Mr Hairs said: “The stones are being thrown and if it goes straight through the window it could hit my son. Do we have to wait until one of the stones hits him and fractures his skull?
“I have lived here for 45 years and it has always been a quiet street. I’ve never had anything like this before. I go out and don’t know what I’m going to come back to. I’m a pensioner with angina – I don’t need this.”
In addition he has also forked out £2,000 for a state-of-the-art CCTV system in order to catch the vandals.
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Hide AdBut despite showing police CCTV footage, he claims he was told the picture was not clear enough for an identification.
He is at his wits’ end after they smashed one of his windows for the fourth time on Thursday at around 11.30pm.
He added: “Each time it costs around £265 to have the window replaced which is money I could do without spending.
“They’ve even broken through the hardened glass as well as double glazing. The rocks are getting bigger too, the last one being the size of my hand. It seems they have a vendetta now and just want to make our lives hell.”
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Hide AdMr Hairs can only think of one occasion during the heavy snowfall earlier in the year which may be behind the repetitive behaviour.
He said: “It first started in March when we had the heavy snow. A few boys were in the front garden as one of my sons had shovelled the snow into a pile in the front garden. They were getting the snow to make into balls and putting stones inside.
“My son went out and told them to get out the garden and they gave him a load of abuse. He chased them away.”
Mr Hairs, who formerly worked in the printing trade, is growing frustrated at the police for failing to catch the culprits.
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Hide AdHe added: “My son phoned the police and they said they may come round the next day. Nothing happened so I went to Craigmillar Police Station on Saturday and an officer told me they’ll try get someone round Monday or Tuesday. No one has been.
“I know resources are stretched but we are being victimised and it is getting beyond a joke. They have to be stopped.
“We don’t believe we deserve this abuse and we should not be made to feel like this in our home. I have contacted police now four times and something needs to be done.”
A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: “We had a report on August 9 in relation to damage to a home on Mountcastle Terrace. Inquiries are ongoing.”