Teen Vandals Steal 1000 Condoms from UEA Safe Sex Station

Vandalism and the theft of over a thousand condoms from the Union House’s Safe Sex Station has forced the scheme to be stopped.

The Station was found vandalised after the weekend (8-10 February), during which time security had asked a group of young teenagers to leave Union House.

The station before it was damaged.

It was restocked on Monday only for the thieves to return, stealing more condoms, damaging leaflets, making chlamydia tests unusable and opening packets of lube. The stolen condoms were found littered on campus, Bluebell Road and near the Fiveways Tesco.

The team behind the Station believe the vandals are students from City Academy (situated between campus and the Fiveways Tesco). A group of youngsters, wearing the school’s uniform, came to the Hive on Tuesday and were asked to leave.

The Tab spoke to Union LGBT officer, Richard Laverick, part of the team behind the scheme.

“I have written to their headteacher to seek an apology.  In the meantime the safe sex station will be closed, pending relocation,” he told The Tab.

“We are really disappointed that this amazing scheme … has been damaged in this way.  Our first thought was, who would do this?  It’s so childish… It then turned out to be that it was immature children.”

The scheme has provided more than eight thousand free condoms to UEA students since November. The Safe Sex team are searching for a new location for the Station on campus, somewhere discreet but also accessible. To send any suggestions email: [email protected]