A Perth father has issued a stark warning to fellow parents after his family home was “trashed” by gatecrashers.
Murray Duncan received a panicked telephone call from his 15-year-old son Liam late on Friday night to say up to 50 youths had turned up at the front door uninvited.
The teenager had been allowed a few friends round while his parents were out but word got out that it was an “empty” house party.
The kitchen table, chairs and a bed were broken, the living room sofa ripped, cupboard doors pulled from their hinges, glasses, crockery and ornaments smashed and the walls and carpets were soaked with urine and vomit.
Vodka and crisps were also poured into the aquarium, killing the fish, broken glass littered the patio area and his wife Valerie’s Aviva security card was found ripped up in a nearby garden.
The couple raced back to the Craigie Road property but said nothing prepared them for what they discovered.
“It was utter carnage,” Mr Duncan (59) told The Courier.
“To think a group of strangers invaded our property, destroyed sentimental items and rifled through our personal belongings ‘for fun’ is really upsetting.
“It wasn’t just a bit untidy, thousands of pounds worth of damage has been done and ornaments that really meant something to us are irreparable.
“My elder son, who is now at college down south, had a model airplane hanging from his bedroom ceiling that he made as a young child. It was pulled down and broken.
“I wonder how many of the teenagers’ parents knew what their kids were up to that night probably very few.’Hell'”I know you can’t always blame the parents but something has to be done to stop another family going through this hell we feel completely violated.”
Mr Duncan said the mob fled when his terrified son contacted the police. Officers remained on the scene for more than an hour and took statements but said there was little they could do.
Mr Duncan said, “What really shocked me was when the police said this happens two, three, four times every weekend.
“It’s obviously becoming a trend to go around drunkenly smashing up other people’s homes, and they know they can get away with it.
“The officers explained they have little powers to do anything as the courts won’t convict unless there is proof who did what.
“I want to stress that my son did not arrange a party. He asked us if he could have some friends over and we trusted him to do so.Social networks”Word apparently got out by text message and social networks and suddenly big groups started coming in the door. He felt pretty helpless.
“He was worried that if he locked the door they would smash it down.
“My wife is very upset and we’ve had a bit of trouble sleeping; we just can’t believe this has happened.
“Finding vomit and urine on the walls and carpet was one of the worst bits. The smell was terrible and we are going to have it all professionally cleaned.”
He added, “I think other people need to be on their guard that this is happening. It’s a sorry state of affairs when you can’t leave your 15-and-a-half-year-old son on his own in the evening but, as we’ve discovered, it’s not worth it.
“We’ve lived in Perth for the past 15 years and never had any bother but more and more these days you see groups of youths causing trouble.
“We need to stop it before it gets out of hand.”