Basingstoke café thanks community for support after damage

Café Dome, in Brighton Hill Parade, was targeted in an anti-social attack after children wearing school uniform were seen breaking its fence panel and removing items from the grounds.

The manager of Café Dome, Carl Manners, posted the CCTV footage on the café’s Facebook page and the community helped identify which school the children were from.

Mr Manners said: “We’ve had lots of positivity from the local community.

Café Dome (Image: Google Maps)

“It draws people’s attention back to the charity and the good work that we do. We are happy to work with the youngsters in the local area and help them appreciate what we do.”

The school has ‘sincerely apologised, identified the individuals and will be dealing with it internally.’

Mr Manners said he arrived at the café on the morning of June 11 to find items that were in the café's fenced area, including items for charity days, cornhole equipment and tabletops, strewn outside.

He went to the fenced area and found the fence still locked, but the fence panel broken, as if it had been ‘kicked through.’

The broken fence (Image: Café Dome)

He said: “I spent the morning outside in all the rain repairing it and making it all safe.

“It took a lot of screws and nails to put it back together.”

The café is known for its work nurturing individuals with learning disabilities and providing them a place to thrive in a working environment.

In the past, the café has had three break-ins, including windows smashed, and has had the R slur graffitied on the car park.

Mr Manners said: “I put it on social media, the local community get behind it and all of a sudden there’s a resolution.

“They are being held accountable for their actions, more of us need to do that. Just be respectful of people’s property.”