Repairing a swing in a Stevenage play area that was set on fire at the weekend is set to cost the borough council more than £10,000.
According to the council, the buddy swing at Cook Road park was set on fire on Sunday (August 10) evening, with firefighters attending the scene.
A council spokesperson said: “We estimate it will cost between £10-£12k to clear the old swing and floor to replace them.
“This money could have been better spent on other services, not on mindless vandalism that now means children are unable to use this equipment during the summer.”
Earlier this year, vandals targeted fencing around the new play area at Stevenage’s Town Centre Gardens, while in November last year, the Noke play area near Shephalbury Park had to be closed after it was vandalised with large quantities of white paint.
Stevenage’s Beryl Bikes scheme also had to be paused in April after a number of bicycles were left unusable due to vandalism.
Covering Hertfordshire’s district and borough councils.
