A PARK that received a £50,000 redevelopment last month ago has been left in disrepair after vandals set a group of wheelie bins on fire in the children’s play area.
Darfield Park, on Church Street, was only refurbished in October but is now in need of repairs after vandals set fire to six wheelie bins in the children’s play area in the park last Friday morning.
The area has been cleared of debris but the new toddler cycle track now houses a huge crater after bins were dragged into the park and torched. Parks services staff estimate it will cost £2,500 to repair.
Darfield councillor and Deputy Mayor Coun Pauline Markham said: “It’s absolutely horrendous, there are no words to describe how it feels to see that.
“It was hard to see, especially when we’ve had young children saying how much they enjoyed the new park.
“It was only done last month, what we wanted was somewhere for kids to play because there’s nothing for kids in Darfield.
“The people who’ve done this have ruined it for the children of Darfield. We have not got the money to redo it again, and even if we did, what’s the point?”
The initial investment in the park came from what is known as Section 106 funding money set aside by developers for new developments that improve the local area.
However, money to repair the park will now have to come from the council’s parks maintenance fund.
Police are currently investigating the incident.
Anyone with information should call 101 quoting incident 316 of November 2.
