YOUNG vandals are being blamed for putting the future of a village play area in doubt after continued problems in the park.

Last summer teenagers were urged to stop lighting fires, smashing bottles and damaging play facilities at the King George V play area in Wickwar.

But as the nights get longer and the weather gets warmer, the trouble has started again this year prompting a stark warning from the parish council that broken or damaged equipment will not be replaced.

Wickwar Parish Council clerk Pat Trull said: "We have been plagued yet again by the bottles being smashed and litter being left around the King George V and surrounding fields.

"Bottles were smashed around the roundabout, this must have been done to cause harm to young children. The new swings have been vandalised and the new play matting has been burnt."

She added: "If this should continue and the equipment gets to a state where it might be unsafe, it will be removed and there is no cash to replace it.

"The problem is parents do not know where their teenage children are. Everyone has to have some fun, but not to the detriment of everyone else’s."

PCSO Haley Harrison confirmed that the trouble had already started again this year.

She said: "We are already experiencing problems with anti-social behaviour at the playing fields in Wickwar. Broken glass and litter have been found on a number of occasions now.

"The broken glass was found on and under the play equipment – the outcome of this could have been terrible if it weren’t for local residents clearing the glass before children used the park."

She added: "Police have upped patrols in the area and will be dealing robustly with any underage drinking, criminal damage or arson that takes place."