'Gut-wrenching': Boat smashed up on eve of Ironbridge Rowing Club's honour
Vandals have targeted Ironbridge Rowing Club, smashing up a boat used by the club's junior squad.
The thousands of pounds of damage, committed in broad daylight on Saturday, came the day before the club received a community award from the High Sheriff of Shropshire.
Now a GoFundMe page has been launched so the boat can be repaired.
Stewart Plant, performance junior coach at Ironbridge Rowing Club said: "On a day that should have been one of the biggest in the calendar for Ironbridge Rowing Club Junior Squad, the unwelcome sight of one of their donated rowing boats being vandalised has left a bitter taste in the mouth of the junior squad who range from 11 to 18 years of age."
The club said that at 3.45pm on Saturday two members of the public purposely damaged and vandalised one of the junior boats that was stored outside its headquarters in the Unesco world heritage Ironbridge Gorge.
The boat, which had been previously donated to the club to help with the growing junior squad, was wrenched from its secure location and smashed on the floor causing thousands of pounds worth of damage.
