Volunteers worked tirelessly to reopen before Christmas
A foodbank trashed by heartless vandals is back up and running.
North Lanarkshire food bank vowed to re-open after being devastated by vandals just days before Christmas.
Coatbridge Community Food Bank was raided overnight on Wednesday with furniture and offices deliberately damaged.
Estimates for repair costs will run into thousands.
But staff say they will open as normal today (Friday) to make sure "nobody goes hungry at Christmas".
The crime was revealed by staff on their Facebook page on Thursday.
They posted: "It is with great sadness and devastation that our Coatbridge Community Food Bank was broken into last night and trashed.
"Coatbridge Food Bank at this time helps so many families, particularly in the lead up to Christmas.
"We are heartbroken, but will pull together as a team."
The post shared pictures of the devastation, including damage to the outside of the building in Coatbank Street and the mess made inside.
Food can be seen spilled onto the floor and offices appear to have been ransacked.
Angela Easton, co-ordinator of the foodbank, said: "We are fortunate we get a lot of donations at this time of year.
"When we contacted the police, the two young officers said they had our stuff. Loads of stuff including toys, toiletries and confectionary was dumped behind the local Tesco.
"They had raided our offices too but we have no cash on the premises."
The food bank, which opens in the town on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, had to shut down their operation in the midst of their busiest period while forensic officers searched for fingerprints.
Angela said: "I am not even angry, I am heartbroken. We are a voluntary team here and we are all absolutely devastated
"We can't even open up our premises to help the public. I have opened all week to meet the demand of our service users and now I have had to close."
She added: "This foodbank is very much part of the community who gave us the donations. It is the heart of the community and we help so many people.
"In December alone, we have maybe helped around 350 people including adults, children and pets."
Police Scotland confirmed that they received a report of the break-in at around 9.30am on Thursday.
A spokeswoman added: "Enquiries are ongoing."
