In one of the worst incidents of senseless vandalism in Lithgow in some time, hoodlums at the weekend dumped a stolen truck in Lake Pillans.

The Bedford five tonne truck was fitted with a water tank and used to dampen and groom the track at the Lithgow Greyhound Racing Club.

During Sunday night hoodlums broke into the greyhound track and stole the truck, escaping the area by crashing the vehicle through the gates at the Union Street entrance.

From there they have driven to Blast Furnace Park where they have rammed the truck through a low level boom gate between the public car park and the open area overlooking Lake Pillans wetlands.

In the next stage of their rampage they set fire to the truck and allowed the blazing vehicle to roll down the steep slope where it came to rest among thick rushes at the edge of the wetlands.

The cabin of the truck was gutted and a small area of the rushes burnt out.

The incidents at the greyhound track and at Lake Pillans took place only a short distance from homes but apparently no one reported seeking or hearing anything.

At Portland on Saturday night arsonists are suspected to have lit a fire that destroyed a garage and its contents only metres from a home where members of a family were sleeping.

Portland Fire brigade members and a Lithgow ambulance crew were called to the premises in Kiln Street shortly after 11 o’clock to find the shed well alight.

But they soon found they had more than just the blaze to contend with.

In an unbelievable act of brazen stupidity, while the majority of the fire crew were battling the blaze a group of juvenile hoodlums began harassing the fire officer in charge of the pumper then began turning off the water at the hydrant.

Not satisfied with potentially placing lives at risk they also threw stones at the pumper (the fire engine) and continued to yell abuse at the fire officer before fleeing the scene.

They took with them a bag containing brigade equipment stolen from the pumper.

It was a situation that has clearly caused concern to firefighters and residents.

The garage was being used to store clothing and toys belonging to the family who had moved to Portland in only recent weeks.

Another resident told the Mercury yesterday the belief was that the juvenile hoodlums had set fire to the garage.

He said a young couple with three children were asleep in the nearby house at the time and had to be awakened by neighbours.

He said the garage was right beside the house and the fire was beginning to spread to the dwelling before firefighters brought it under control.

The caller said that juvenile hoodlums had become a real problem for residents in Portland at night.

Police are continuing investigations into the Lithgow and Portland incidents and are seeking public assistance in identifying the culprits.