Clacton charity 'devastated' after minibus arson attack

The bus was parked at Gold Green Hall in Clacton near to another vehicle.

After a bingo session at the hall had ended, someone used a can of petrol and set fire to the minibus at about 10pm, on October 30.

Fire - The bus has been blackened and charred by the flames and smoke (Image: TCT) Tendring Community Transport (TCT) boss Pauline Mann spoke of her “shock and sadness” after the bus, which provides a vital service to vulnerable members of the community, was engulfed in flames.

Pauline said: “I am absolutely devastated that someone would want to destroy a vehicle that does so much good in the community.

“We are a lifeline to many elderly, vulnerable people in the Tendring district.

“Many people that use our services would not leave their homes if they could not use community transport.” 

Devastated - The loss of the bus means the charity will struggle to reach as many vulnerable people (Image: TCT) She continued: “Luckily someone spotted the fire and called the fire brigade, who arrived very quickly, saving the other vehicle.

“But our minibus was completely burnt out.

“And it’s come at a really bad time - we had just lost a vehicle two weeks earlier due to engine problems, and considering the age of the minibus it was decided it was too expensive to repair and we had to scrap it - then this happens.

“So, in a very short period of time we have gone from 12 minibuses to 10.”

TCT provides door-to-door accessible community transport for residents, including for food shopping, to attend groups and clubs, and for medical appointments.

Destroyed - The charity has set up a fundraiser to try and get a new minibus (Image: TCT) Pauline said: “Because of this loss, we have had to cancel some of our group hire services – taking elderly people to a lunch club and elderly residents to social events.

“It is devastating, as this trip may be the only time someone leaves their home.

“We can only hope that we do not have any issues with any of our vehicles, if we do, we will be cancelling more trips.”

TCT has reported the arson attack to Essex Police and to its insurance company.

A Just Giving page has now been launched by the charity to try and help fund the purchase of a new vehicle.

Pauline said: “A new wheelchair accessible minibus costs between £75,000 and £85,000.

“It takes a lot of time and effort to raise the funds to purchase a vehicle to support the community, and it took under five minutes for someone to destroy it.”

The charity’s GoFundMe page is at gofund.me/f01ba719.