VOLUNTEERS were left outraged after they were unable to open up a food bank after the building was damaged by vandals.

Members of Bolton charity Urban Outreach went to the centre in Bark Street and found the electric shutters had been damaged overnight and could not be opened.

The perpetrators had climbed on to the roof to steal some of the lead and coping stones had been thrown down to the ground, causing damage to the electrics, windows and the bin.

Dave Bagley, CEO of Urban Outreach, said: "My son arrived today to get ready for the food bank and it looks like people had somehow got on to the roof and picked up the roof coping stones then thrown them down.

"So we can not open the shutters and get into the building. We have been in there for about 10 years. We store food in there and it is the place where people go to collect it.

"There are also a lot of activities that take place there. We have a lot of work to do to get it open for this afternoon.

"We hope they have not managed to break in and take anything. I don't think they were trying to break in. I think it was just something they found exciting.

"But what is exciting for them is something that obviously comes at a cost for us. We'll have to pay to fix the roof and fix the shutters."

The food bank opens every Tuesday at 10am and was also due to hold a drop-in session in the afternoon.

Mr Bagley's son Samuel, project co-ordinator at Urban Outreach, went to open up the centre at about 8am and saw the broken bin, wires and the smashed coping stones on the ground.

He said: "It is just sad and disappointing. Whether they knew what the places is I'm not sure. We have been here a long time so I assume they are aware of our presence here.

"Some people are now going to have to go without food and I think it is going to cost a few thousand pounds to repair the damage."

He also said it was unlikely they were trying to break in to the building.

Mr Bagley said the police had been contacted and were due to inspect the scene.