VANDALS have attacked the new Wigan and Leigh Hospice.

They smashed lettering on a sign just hours after it was erected at the main entrance to the £1.5 million hospice off Liverpool Road, Hindley.

And the attack has angered general manager Stuart Liptrot and his team.

Said Stuart: "The vandals smashed the letters on the sign with what looks like kicks, and we regard this as very worrying at such an early date. We just hope this is not a sign of things to come."

Stuart believes the damage was caused on Saturday night or early Sunday morning.

The hospice is still in the hands of the building contractors and, according to Mr. Liptrot, the cost of repairing the vandalised sign will not be cheap.

A date for the handover of the building has previously been delayed.

Mr. Liptrot added: "We will be having CCtv cameras on site when we open as well as intruder alarms and other security measures, but we want the local community to realise what we are there for and to stress to them that we certainly don't need problems of vandalism.

"I appeal to local people to work with us to keep an eye on the hospice and to report to police any incidents of vandalism they see. After all this hospice is part of the community and has been paid for out of public money.

"I sincerely hope people living close to the hospice will work with us on making sure problems are stamped out right away."

Pictured is an artist's impression of the new hospice.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.