VANDALS caused around £6,000 worth of damage when they stripped a community hall of its copper piping.

Thieves broke into Fleur de Lys Miners’ Institute through a window on Sunday night and stole all the piping from its toilets and heating system.

The building, which celebrates its centenary this year, was taken over by members of the Fleur de Lys and Pengam Steering Group in 2009, whose aim was to bring it back into community use after a period of disrepair.

Since then the charitable trust has raised funds to refurbish the three storey building, which included redecorating, installing new windows, a heating and smoke alarm system.

Bev Barnett chairman of the group said volunteers were devastated. He said: “How can you rob a charity?

“I feel aggrieved - this belongs to the community. When you talk about David Cameron and his big society, how can you have a big society when people do this? It’s really disheartening.

“It was starting to establish itself and we could do without knock backs like this. I can’t understand why people want to do this kind of thing.”

Mr Barnett, 68, said the cost of the damage, estimated at around £6,000, should be covered by the insurance company but the disruption caused by work to replace piping, and the damage caused to the toilets and radiators it was stripped from, would have a knock-on effect on those who use the hall.

This includes many local schools, an old age pensioners group, people who attend the twice weekly Zumba class and the Fleur De Lys Flower Show, which is due to be held there in the summer.

A spokeswoman for Gwent Police confirmed officers were investigating and asked anyone with information to contact them on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.