See the scale of vandalism that has 'destroyed everything' at Telford railway

Workers at Telford Steam Railway were called to the site at Horsehay on Monday and discovered damage to the signal box's brickwork, smashed windows, and graffiti sprayed across the room.

Telford Steam Railway leases the box in Lightmoor from Network Rail. It sits along a defunct line which was used to deliver coal to Ironbridge Power Station.

The signal box was previously repaired and restored in 2016 after it was burned down by vandals.

In the latest incident, the intruders forced their way through a weak spot in the wall and used the bricks to destroy what was inside.

Volunteer, Doug Studdart, was amazed when he first stepped into the restored signal box last year, but has been left heartbroken by the destruction this week

He said: "We're devastated, we were the first people in there for years after we found the keys it and when we walked in there it was in pristine condition and brilliant.

"Then we walked in the other day and found that every window, and frame had been smashed to pieces.

"All the wooden gear that connected from stations and boxes had been smashed and thrown on the floor.

"We're totally devastated and it’s now going to cost the trust a lot of money to put back. We've got to then close it off to make sure nobody else can get in there.

"We're talking a few thousand pounds just to put it back into the condition that it was.

"It's horrible. We've gone from the euphoria of walking in there the first time and going 'woah it's fantastic' to now everything is destroyed, every window broken and paint scattered everywhere.

"We got word of mouth from one of the neighbours that they’d heard a lot of noise."

Doug - a former engineer - has been a volunteer at Telford Steam Railway for more than two years after he frequently visited with his son.

The volunteer-run steam railway relies on donations and the revenue it makes to remain sustainable, and they are asking for the public's support and donations to help restore the signal box.

"Everything is voluntary," said Doug. "Nobody gets paid a penny here.

"We all do this out of the goodness of our heart and for the love of it.

"It’s mindless and wilful damage.

"It's really going to bite into our kitty that we have and it stops us moving forward on other projects."

The British Transport Police confirmed that officers attended the scene at approximately 3.45pm on Monday, June 3, and that investigations to identify those who are responsible are ongoing.

Network Rail has also sent someone to inspect the site.

Information on how to donate can be found at www.telfordsteamrailway.co.uk/make-a-donation-to-the-railway.