OUTRAGED Cawston residents had to clean up after vandals who set fire to a children’s playground.
At least £4,000 worth of damage was done to the Cawston Neighbourhood Play Area on Saturday night (September 17) when yobs torched trampoline mats and safety surfacing – and the bill will be footed by Rugby taxpayers.
A Cawston resident who did not wish to be named said she found the area strewn with litter, overturned shopping trollies and broken glass.
She said: “My immediate thought was children running in to the area with broken glass would be an accident waiting to happen.
“Whoever did it didn’t seem to care if someone got hurt, or if glass got into a dog’s paw.
“There seems to be general unrest in the area. There’s an awful lot of people in Cawston, and comparatively little in the way of amenities. In a sense, what else is there for the kids to do apart from get up to mischief?”
She added the one positive thing about the incident was the response of residents who went out to clear up the mess.
Community safety wardens from Rugby Borough Council (RBC) taped off the burnt-out trampolines on Sunday (September 18).
A council spokesman estimated repair costs at around £4,000 – or more if structural damage was found at the trampoline area – adding repairs were likely to “take some time” as they had to obtain special parts.
RBC environment and public realm spokeswoman Coun Lisa Parker said: “I am disgusted the mindless actions of a minority have robbed the community of much-loved equipment and left the taxpayer facing a repair bill which could run into thousands of pounds.
“We worked in partnership with the Cawston community throughout the development of the play area and I’d now urge the community to rally round and help the police catch the culprits.
“If anybody saw any suspicious activity at the play area on Saturday night or the early hours of Sunday morning, or has information which can help the police, please call 101.”
