Revamped play park targeted by vandals

10:23am Friday 16th May 2008

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THOUSANDS of pounds of council tax money have been spent at a play area in Tidworth over the years - only for the area to be trashed.

In the latest attempt to upgrade the facilities at the George VI Road play park Tidworth Town Council spent £18,000 on new equipment.

But it was attacked by graffiti artists with two days of opening.

It left Cllr Chris Franklin disgusted and urging the town council to consider taking the equipment away from the area for good.

"The little people have been writing on this within 48 hours," he told their recent meeting.

"I'm fed up with us spending all of this money only for some little ****** to wreck it."

Town clerk Mrs Janet White revealed afterwards that the new play equipment had cost the council £18,000 with VAT - including the cost of the demolition of the old equipment and installation, preparation and purchase of the new. "It is a shame the equipment is not always used correctly," she said.

Cllr Sandra Carmichael said there had been problems with vandalism around the play park for the past 10 years.

But Cllr Andrew Connolly, said: "We are in danger of scoring an own goal because the way we talk Tidworth is like living in the Bronx. It is a nice quiet community with very little crime."