A series of loud bangs and the sound of breaking glass woke many Olhão residents in the early hours as vandals left a trail of destruction from the council building as far as the Social Security office about a kilometre north.
Random acts of vandalism are not uncommon in the hard drinking city with late night revellers weaving their way back home deciding no night out is complete unless a shop window or two is smashed.
These latest acts take the problem to a new level as not only were windows broken at the council offices, those responsible also climbed inside and trashed one of the council offices.
The mayor António Pina said that it was nothing personal and random acts of vandalism are 'not uncommon' but with the Finanças and Social Security offices also having their windows broken it certainly seems that whoever did cause the damage was focused on the state machine.
Shops were not immune from the night of destruction with an estate agency suffering the same fate. Nor sadly was religious imagery as Our Lady of Grace set high in an alcove in the Maritime Museum building lost her protective glass window with a well aimed block of calçada.
The 03.00 spree woke many residents who alerted the police but by the time officers arrived the vandals were long gone.
As the GNR and Judicial Police stations are located at either end of the main restaurant strip, the response time was swift but no arrests were made and the morning saw a flurry of activity as pavements were swept of glass debris and broken windows made safe or replaced.
The expense will run into thousands of euros and the frustration of shopkeepers having yet again to replace uninsurable windows hits the city hard.
One bar owner, wishing to remain anonymous, commented that with unemployment as it is in the city, and with the youngsters frustrated and depressed with a lack of options and a surfeit of inexpensive drugs, these events are increasingly common, adding "with cheap alcohol and growing frustration, smashing up the town and not getting caught adds some excitement to an otherwise dull existence. It is regrettable and expensive and we all hope that jobs will become available for these youngsters."
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