Award offered to catch train vandals

Seven ScotRail trains were vandalised

ScotRail is offering a £5,000 reward in an attempt to catch vandals who caused about £500,000 worth of damage to seven trains.

Rail bosses said vandals broke in to the Shields West maintenance depot on the south side of Glasgow between 2300 BST on Wednesday and 0200 BST on Thursday.

They destroyed dozens of train windows, seats and doors before taking valuable computer equipment and 20 potentially dangerous railway detonators.

A ScotRail spokesman said the act of vandalism could delay train services and the final repair bill could top £1m.

We want to make it known to the public that this kind of thing affects them

ScotRail spokesman

The spokesman said: "This is going to inconvenience thousands of people. These trains will be out of service for at least several days, if not weeks, while we get new parts.

"It means we will have to cancel some services, while others will be shortened.

"We want to make it known to the public that this kind of thing affects them. Mindless vandalism like this affects every single rail user."

Three of the vandalised trains were part of ScotRail's new Juniper fleet.

Another three were more than 40 years old while the other was a test train with more than £1m worth of computer equipment on board.

Top priority

Constable Robert Barton of the British Transport Police said recovering the stolen detonators was a top priority.

He said: "We are concerned that they might fall into the wrong hands because they can explode and cause serious injury to the hands and face."

Constable Barton described the detonators as being two inches in diameter, half an inch deep and with a lead clip on either side.

Anyone with information about is asked to contact ScotRail on 0800 405 040 or the Transport Police on 0141 335 3198.