Couple's heartbreak after property targeted

FIVE WINDOWS SMASHED FOLLOWING ONLINE MISINFORMATION

- By TOM KEIGHLEY

On Monday night, the downstairs windows of Jarek and Joanna Darecki's property on Grimsby Road were broken

A HUSBAND and wife team who poured substantial time and money into renovating a dilapidated Cleethorpes property have told of their heartbreak and fear after their windows were smashed.

Joanna and Jarek Darecki, who are originally from Poland but have lived in the UK for more than three decades, already own a number of holiday lets in the area and have recently revamped the Grimsby Road property as the latest addition to their portfolio.

The couple had been excited to open the accommodation to tourists and contractors later this month having overhauled the derelict site - much to the pleasure of neighbours.

But they say a misleading video claiming the property would house migrants was recently circulated online, prompting an outpouring of “hateful and negative” comments.

Joanna, who lives in London but has a strong attachment to Cleethorpes and the surrounding area, explained the video had received more than 20,000 views before it was removed and the user who is believed to have posted the content later apologised.