A PLAYGROUND covered in soft surfacing has become a danger to youngsters - thanks to the acts of mindless vandals.

The park at Yeadon Tarn was extensively refurbished by Leeds City Council in August 1998 with the introduction of soft surfacing and new play equipment.

But vandals have ripped up parts of the soft surfacing, meaning children who should be protected from falling on hard concrete now risk injury or even death.

The Wharfedale Observer's Play It Safe Campaign is aiming to persuade Leeds City Council to introduce soft surfacing underneath all equipment in Wharfedale, Aireborough and Horsforth.

Pensioner and regular park user Clarissa Wright said: "The rubber floor covering has been ripped up and the equipment is covered in graffiti. A child could easily be injured in a place that is supposed to be safe for them.

"It makes you despair. I wonder why some people live in the community that they do when they can put people's lives at risk.

"In Yeadon, we're really very lucky because both the Tarn and Kirk Lane have soft surfacing - but the yobbos mean that we can't even have that."

Councillor Graham Latty (Con, Aireborough) said he was not aware of any problems in the park but would visit it to investigate the extent of the problem.

Other public facilities around Yeadon Tarn have fallen victim to crime in recent years. Commemorate benches for late members were stolen from Tarnfields Bowling Club last year, and Leeds City Council has recently revealed vandalised shelters around the Tarn itself have cost £22,000 to demolish and replace.

Three rain shelters were pulled down earlier this year after repeated attacks by vandals left them in a poor state of repair. They are being replaced by a decorative bandstand which can double as a rain shelter for visitors when bands are not performing.

A spokesman for Leeds Leisure Services said: "Leeds City Council has set up a cross-departmental group to consider the future of children's play.

"As part of its work, this group will consult community involvement teams across the city.

"In the meantime, senior leisure services staff are continuing to discuss specific pieces of playground equipment and how they can be made safer. Where it is not possible to bring them into line and they pose an unacceptable safety risk according to the European standard, some pieces of equipment are being removed."