NEWS

'Moronic' teenage vandals seek web votes for next target
By KIRAN CHUG - The Nelson Mail | Saturday, 22 December 2007

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A group of Stoke teenagers is boasting on the Internet about starting fires, stealing property and breaking into schools, and is asking people to vote online for where it should target next.


Nelson police say they are gobsmacked and appalled by a page created on the social networking website www.bebo.com by a group of youths calling themselves "Stoke Vandals".

The web page, which appears to have been set up by six people from the Nelson region, some aged 14 and 15, says the group goes "on missions" around Stoke at night.

The "missions" involve smashing windows and lights at Stoke and Enner Glynn schools, lighting "a few fires" and stealing letterboxes and real estate agents' signs, the group says.

It has posted an online poll on the site, asking people to vote for what should be targeted next.

The options are Stoke School, Nayland College, Nayland Primary, Broadgreen or "other", and voters are asked to name an alternative.

On Friday, the page had received more than 40 views and accumulated 13 "fans", and 14 people had voted in the poll. The site appeared to have been disabled this morning.

Photos on the group's web page show a firefighter outside a smoking building.

Nelson Bays police area commander Inspector Brian McGurk said he was astounded at the brazenness of the group and appalled that it would seek endorsement of its actions via Bebo.

"I can't believe that anybody would do that. I've got to question the intellectual capacity of these moronic youths."

There had been an upsurge in vandalism and property damage in the Stoke area in recent months, and the comments on the web page correlated with what were "ongoing problems", Mr McGurk said.

He said police were unaware of the web page until it was brought to their attention by the Nelson Mail, but it would now assist them greatly with their inquiries.

Earlier this month, Senior Constable Phil Wylie told the Nelson Mail that vandals who broke into Stoke School on December 5 smashed windows and security lights, and left urine and faeces around doors and a toilet block.

Enner Glynn School was also broken into the same night.

Adrian Mullan, who this week retired as Stoke School principal after 18 years, said he was "absolutely shattered" to learn about the web page.

He said the vandals' actions had left children at the school shocked and emotional.

Detective Constable Aaron Kennaway said the ability of the Nelson CIB to investigate crimes that had a "Bebo link" was limited because the website was among those police had only restricted access to.

He said detectives needed to apply to view the site at a specific time and in relation to specific investigations, and permission had to be gained at a national level.

The Nelson Mail is awaiting a response from Bebo about whether the company monitors discussions about illegal activity and what action would be taken in such a situation.

The terms and conditions on the website state that it must not be used for illegal activity.

Bebo said it could remove inappropriate material but had no obligation to do so or to monitor use of the service.