AN online fundraiser has raised hundreds of pounds in less than 24 hours for Dudley’s Sycamore Adventure centre after the venue was targeted by vandals.

The children’s play centre has experienced numerous break-ins over the last few months which have seen go karts stolen and holes cut in perimeter fencing.

But on Wednesday evening (August 10) it suffered the worst attack to date.

Dudley News: Some of the damage at the Sycamore Adventure centreSome of the damage at the Sycamore Adventure centre

As a result, Sycamore Adventure volunteer Donna Haddock started an online fundraiser on the Go Fund Me website (search Sycamore) to help staff fix the damage at the centre which has a sandpit, trampoline, swings, climbing frame and slides, plus forest school area and jubilee garden and indoor soft play area and café.

She said the latest incident “caused an awful lot of mindless damage that is going to take a little more than a few nails and wood to be able to fix” and she added: “We rely heavily on customer donations to keep the centre going so have little in the way of money to now fix the damage caused from this latest break in."

Dudley News: Some of the damage at the Sycamore Adventure centreSome of the damage at the Sycamore Adventure centre

The offenders broke into the centre’s storage area by kicking in panels, she said, and they broke the wheels of the remaining go karts and damaged the locks and door during the raid.

She said staff had worked really hard to make it safe for the centre to open but she added: “We need to replace the panelling that was destroyed in gaining entry as well as look into a more secure door to stop this being repeated again.”

She said it “would mean so much” if people could donate whatever money or materials they can to help and she added: “We love what we are able to offer here at Sycamore as we are very unique and we want to be able to continue to do so for many years to come.”