VANDALS have trashed the office of a York special needs charity - forcing it to shut down for a week.

Youths are believed to have broken into the SNAPPY office in Burton Stone Community Centre and ransacked it, yesterday afternoon.

SNAPPY chiefs said it was the second time in eight weeks that the charity had been attacked by vandals.

SNAPPY, which stands for Special Needs Activities and Play Provision for York, provides activities for the city's young disabled people. The group runs a series of projects from its Clifton office, and allows those who use its services the opportunity to enjoy activities such as going to the cinema and socialising.

The office has now been boarded up and will not reopen for seven days, after it was raided.

The vandals tore a door off its hinges before ransacking the office at the community centre, in Evelyn Crescent, hurling equipment and records around the room.

Volunteer Darron Pearson said everyone who worked with SNAPPY had been absolutely sickened by the act.

"The office has been trashed, but it doesn't look as if anything has been taken. This is the second time in eight weeks the office has been attacked," he said.

"We are supposed to open for disabled and special needs children at the weekend, but we are not going to be available for them. This is frustrating and annoying. The office was a total mess. Paperwork was all over the floor. Drawers and cupboards were opened. It is just mindless vandalism."

A North Yorkshire Police spokeswoman confirmed there was an incident at the community centre at about 4pm yesterday.

SNAPPY is one of the few charities in the city to offer youngsters aged between nine and 25 the chance to take part in activities considered normal for others of their age. In the past the charity has survived closure and is now moving from strength to strength.

SNAPPY's executive officer Anne Pemberton said: "We have had to close for the week. I can't even get into my office. It is absolutely awful."

The office was boarded up as the charity waited for police investigators to survey the scene and for the council to fix a new door.

A City of York Council spokeswoman said: "It's very distressing that someone has chosen to target a charity office. We're working closely with the police in their investigation, but at present, it's too early to tell if anything has gone missing.

"The community centre is open as normal and we will be working to reopen the charity office as soon as possible."

Updated: 11:30 Tuesday, January 28, 2003