VOLUNTEERS at Swindon and Cricklade Railway are in despair after vandals targeted their rolling stock yet again.

The discovery comes after they were told the suspects arrested on suspicion of causing last May’s devastating fire, which destroyed one of their prized vintage diesel trains, would not be prosecuted.

Volunteers were already reeling after finding out that their insurance company would only cover 15 per cent of the £80,000 claim.

Then on Tuesday a working party discovered unsightly graffiti had been daubed over one of their prized trains and the Moonraker dining car.

“It is something that the railway can do without,” said secretary Roger Barber.

“We have a limited amount of time to do the work and we don’t want to divert that effort to cleaning up after idiots.”

The damage is believed to have been done between volunteers leaving on Sunday and arriving on Tuesday morning.

“There were people working on them at the weekend so we’re sure it was not there on Sunday,” he said, adding that people had contacted them, offering to help with the clean up.

The group is going to contact Swindon Borough Council’s graffiti team for expert advice because of the risk of damaging delicate paintwork underneath.

The DMU train is believed to be the only one of its kind in working order in the country.

“It was built by the Gloucester Carriageworks and it is relevant to this area,” said Mr Barber.

“It is in the throes of restoration and we expect to have it running later this year.”

Suspects were arrested in the wake of the arson attack on May 20, but Mr Barber said they had been told by the Crown Prosecution Service that the case had been dropped because there was no realistic chance of a conviction.

“It is gutting, simply because of the message it sends out,” he said.

As well as the train, two wagons containing rare electrical equipment collected to extend the signalling system were obliterated. It was this loss that the insurance company refused to pay out for.