News

A new safety surface has had to be laid at a children’s play area  after vandals ripped up the old one.

The rubber matting cost £600 to replace. The incident was reported to police on 18 September and follows other incidents of vandalism at the play area in Oaks Drive,  St Mary’s Bay.

The play area is meant to be for children up to 11 years old but Shepway Council says the damage had been caused by older children – and believes it could be the work of under-age drinkers.

“There’s been a problem in this play area with youngsters breaking empty beer bottles and someone would have had to have used a stick-like tool to prise the rubber matting up. So it points to older children,” said Cllr Carole Waters, Cabinet Member for Community Regeneration. “We want to provide safe play areas for our younger children and it is very sad and extremely frustrating when our efforts are ruined. Council tax payers have had to pay twice for this – once when the rubber matting was installed and again to have in replaced.

“This is the sort of mindless, irresponsible behaviour that everyone at the council – councilors and officers – wants to see stamped out. The police are aware of the problems we are having at this play area and hopefully the culprits will be caught.

“Unfortunately, some of our young people - and not just those in St Mary’s Bay - seem to lack a basic respect for anyone or anything and everyone at Shepway is determined to tackle this in any way we can.”

A swing seat and chains worth £200 were stolen from Canterbury Road recreation ground in Folkestone at the beginning of the month.