The boss of a charity in Burslem says she is "gutted" after learning vandals had attacked a building it uses.

Vicki Gwynne, operations manager at Middleport Matters Community Trust, said she was gutted when she found out the small pavilion in Middleport Park had been set alight.

The fire left half of its roof collapsed and the building – which is on licence from the council – can't now be used by the charity.

It was set alight at about 11pm on Monday evening and Ms Gwynne said: "It's just gutting. We've got it on a licence from Stoke-on-Trent City Council for a year, because we're doing so much work in the park, so we've been storing our gazebos and things there.

"It enables access to a toilet for local people while they're in the park."

The building is on licence from Stoke-on-Trent City Council (LDRS).

She said over the past year, volunteers had ben working to clean and repaint the building and a local firms have donated racking and carpet tiles.

She said: "There's been a real want to make this available for the community, so the mindless vandalism is really disappointing and sad.

"I've had a cry, as have others on the team, but I'm angry now – but it won't stop us."

She said the trust had recently welcomed hundreds of people down to one of its events, demonstrating the kind of positive activities that could take place there.

She also revealed it's not the first attack the organisation has suffered, with a substance resembling engine oil having been thrown across the floor in front of the pavilion on two previous occasions.

Volunteers spent hours clearing the mess up, to ensure their activities could go ahead.

She said: "Somebody's enjoying making things really hard, but it won't stop us."

Despite the incident, Ms Gwynne confirmed that all summer events will still be taking place (LDRS).

Plans are currently being put together for portable toilets to be brought in over the summer, and Ms Gwynne confirmed all events will still be going ahead as planned.

However, the attack has caused concern that long-term plans for the park might be put in jeopardy.

Ms Gwynne said: "We're trying to make the neighbourhood park a really lovely place for families and children, for everybody to go to, to enjoy it and bring it up to date. Vandalism like this could impact that.

"We could find all the money to do something fab, but if it's going to get vandalised then the risk is we might not be able to do it where we want to do it."

She said the council will now have to asses the viability of repairing or knocking down the small pavilion building, and said it will now sit empty while that decision and any repair work is carried out.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council has been approached for a comment.

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