A Disturbing Incident at Our Warhammer Club: Seeking Advice and Solutions

As the President of a Warhammer and tabletop gaming club in the UK, I consider our weekly gatherings a cherished tradition where members immerse themselves in strategic gameplay with our beloved miniature figures. Unfortunately, last weekend, our enjoyable experience was marred by a troubling event that raised numerous concerns.

While we were engaged in our games at a local church, a group of five young children, riding electric scooters, entered the premises. Our club maintains a strict policy prohibiting anyone under 16 from attending unless accompanied by an adult. When we kindly requested the children to leave, their response quickly escalated into chaos and destruction.

The alarming sequence of events included:
– A member of our committee faced threats from one child, brandishing a box cutter.
– Tables were upended, resulting in the deliberate destruction of several models.
– Our resin models, valued over £4,000, were trampled and ruined.
– Fire was set to parts of our game terrain and a battle mat—though we managed to extinguish it, both items are now beyond repair.

Upon hearing the police sirens, the children fled the scene on their scooters.

In the aftermath, the situation became more complicated:
– Of the five children, three managed to escape while one was apprehended by police and another restrained by an autistic member of our club while attempting to vandalize a valuable resin titan.
– Alarmingly, the police proceeded to arrest our club member for causing harm to the child, who allegedly claimed injury, despite his behavior suggesting otherwise.

As we await further information regarding our autistic member, we have learned that the children involved are as young as eight and nine years old. The police have informed us that due to their age, legal actions may be limited, which raises concerns about how to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Our Questions Moving Forward

1. What are the potential legal ramifications for our autistic member regarding his act of restraint in this distressing situation?

2. Given that our insurance does not cover criminal damage, is there any chance of recovering costs from the responsible parties? We still have possession of two scooters, which the police left at the scene, and each is valued between £350 and £600.

3. **The current estimate for replacing the destroyed models and terrain stands at approximately £4,500, not accounting for the specialized paintwork that adds significant value. Can we seek compensation