A CHILDREN’S playground has been plagued by vandals over the summer holidays, leaving much of the equipment unusable.

Swings, slides and climbing frames at Idle Recreation Ground have all been damaged in recent weeks, and one local councillor says she believes it is down to a “small minority” of young people who are spoiling the park for the rest of the community.

The damage comes at a time of year the park is normally at its busiest, with children on their summer breaks from school. However, many families visiting the play area in the past few days will have been disappointed with the state of the facility.

Rope ladders have been damaged so badly that the ropes have had to be removed, leaving just the metal frames, a climbing frame has been so badly damaged that it has been boarded up for the safety of children, part of a slide has seemingly been melted and swings have been damaged so badly that only one remains useable.

And users of the play area say there are also problems with litter and broken glass.

Councillor Jeanette Sunderland (Lib Dem, Idle and Thackley) believes the damage has been caused by young people who misuse the park late in the evening. She said: “We have always had a bit of a problem with people who just think they can throw litter down and just attack the play equipment.

“It is just mindless, like people want to wreck anything they get their hands on.

“The majority of young people use this park in a sensible way, and there are always plenty of young people here enjoying the park, so to senselessly destroy that play equipment is really bad. It is just a small minority.

“Parents need to take more responsibility for their children. They need to be asking where they are if they are out late at night. Sometimes I don’t understand what parents must think when their children come home late at night stinking of booze.

“What can you do? You can’t have a police officer stationed in the park all night. They have much better things to be doing.

“It has got so bad I’ve had requests from some parents for us to find a play area for young children that is away from this area and safer. We might have to even consider putting a curfew on in the park.”

She said that the petty vandalism was not just restricted to Idle Recreation Ground, pointing out that similar damage at Greengates Recreation Ground had only just been repaired.

Cllr Sunderland requested that anyone who notices damage to any parks in the district should email Bradford Council’s parks service on landscape.services@bradford.gov.uk

The Telegraph & Argus contacted Bradford Council to ask when the equipment would be repaired, but had not yet heard back as of going to press.