A HISTORIC Bridgwater museum has unveiled an action plan to keep vandals and thieves out and secure its future.

The Grade I listed Somerset Brick and Tile Museum, in East Quay, has been repeatedly attacked over the last few years.

The Mercury reported last September how police caught four youths aged 12 to 14 who pulled down shuttering and smashed tiles against the walls.

The museum says that lead has twice been stolen from the roof, and when the building is closed at evenings and on weekends, skateboarders have damaged the walls and railings, and there have been other attempted break-ins.

Now bosses have decided to take action by putting up vertical steel railings on the lowest wall to stop intruders climbing over.

They also want to put cladding on an internal gate to deter potential thieves and install a gate to keep skateboarders away.

Sedgemoor District Council planners are due to decide on the security measures this month and you can have your say on this story at bridgwatermercury.co.uk/news David Walker, keeper of social history for the Somerset Heritage Centre and Library, which owns the brick and tile museum, said: “I appreciate people enjoy skateboarding they are damaging the structure of the site and it costs money to repair it.

“The lead was stolen a couple of years ago but we haven't been confident enough to put it back until the perimeter security has been improved as we run the risk of it being stolen again.

“There is going to be a raft of work done in keeping with the heritage aspect to secure the museum's future.”