TEENAGE vandals have ruined the fun for New Forest children by trashing their new playground.
The £70,000 play park in Marchwood village centre has been damaged by youths only weeks after it was opened.
The playground is specifically for under-12s and is locked at night to discourage troublemakers. Police also regularly patrol it, but these measures failed to deter the vandals.
They ripped one piece of equipment from its spring base and covered a new climbing wall in graffiti.
Youths have also tried to start fires underneath the new roundabout and have gone armed with chisels and hammers, intent on causing damage.
The playground, behind Marchwood Village Hall, was opened in October and has now been repaired.
It was funded by a grant of nearly £50,000 from the Veolia Environmental Trust through the Landfill Communities Fund, as well as a contribution of more than £5,000 from Oceanic Estates.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article