VANDALS who struck twice at a St Leonard's Hospice shop in Acomb, York, have been slammed for wasting money that could be spent on patient care.

Repair of the windows at the furniture shop in York Road, Acomb, is costing the hospice hundreds of pounds.

A window was smashed on Sunday - the second such incident within a few weeks - and staff and volunteers spent more than two hours clearing up the glass to make the shop safe.

Police arranged for the hole to be boarded up temporarily overnight, and hospice volunteer Cyril Reynolds subsequently spent more than three hours making a more permanent repair.

The hospice's fundraising manager, Janet Morley, said: "This mindless vandalism is costing St Leonard's money every time it happens.

"Although we are insured, we still have quite a large excess to pay on each claim. It also costs us time, both for our staff and volunteers, who have to suspend their regular fundraising tasks to cope with the problem.

"We have no idea why we should be a target - perhaps our corner site in Acomb is a temptation.

"Whatever the reason, the vandals are making our work of raising funds to care for local people - perhaps even the relatives of the vandals - more difficult."

A police spokesman confirmed that a member of the public reported the broken shop window on Sunday.

Updated: 12:48 Tuesday, July 01, 2003