A LONG Preston resident told the Herald this week he was "incensed" by the actions of vandals who smashed up a bench dedicated to the memory of a local lad who died in a tragic car accident.

Villager Christopher Wilcock, of Station Road, said he was disgusted by the actions of the vandals, who had tried to wreck a circular seat recently built on Long Preston Playing Fields.

Mr Wilcock, treasurer of Long Preston Playing Fields Committee, told the Herald the seat had been built in memory of 19-year-old Thomas Wilkinson, son of villagers Jean and Edward Wilkinson, after he was killed in a tragic car accident.

"At his funeral there was a collection and his parents said to the committee they'd like to do something in Thomas' memory. There are two big trees on the playing field and it was thought it would be nice to have a circular seat around one of these trees near the football pitch, which Thomas used to use."

At the end of last year the seat, crafted by local joiners Eric and Colin Ward, was put in and the only job left was for a panel dedicated to Thomas to be inscribed and then placed on the seat.

However, before the panel could be placed on the seat this week, vandals struck on Sunday evening, ripping off the wooden slats causing serious damage.

Mr Wilcock said: "It was all going very nicely, we were just about to put on the panel this week. On Sunday though, when I was going for a walk. I thought I'd go up to look at the seat and couldn't believe it that it had been damaged. I could have wept when I saw it. Although the damage is repairable that's not the point. It shouldn't have been vandalised in the first place.

"The seat was put there in the memory of one of the lads in the village who used to play on the field and who died tragically."

Mr Wilcock added that he could not believe the person who committed the crime did not know the seat had been built in the memory of Thomas.

He told the Herald he was also angry that someone could vandalise items on the playing field considering the whole community had put so much effort into creating the area.

The playing fields were first opened in 1996 after a group of concerned adults and children agreed to try to buy a green field site away from the busy A65 road that would not only cater for children, but also provided facilities for adult leisure activities like tennis and bowls.

"We're now going to have to spend money on repairing the seat which could have been spent on extra equipment such as swings and roundabouts," Mr Wilcock added.

Anyone with information about the incident should contact the Skipton Police crimedesk on 01756 793377.

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