Craigyhill play park is shut after vandalism

Larne Borough Council is faced with footing the bill for the destruction of a slide at the Craigyhill play park at the weekend. And local infants will be deprived of the playground until the equipment can be replaced.

The local authpority is aleady counting the cost of damage caused to the playpark near Beachlands in Carnlough during the summer.

Ald Winston Fulton, who visited the Craigyhill park on Monday, admitted that the recurring vandalism at such facilities is a headache for the council.

He said: “It’s a big problem and I don’t know how the council is going to overcome it. I don’t either how long the council can go on replacing equipment. It’s very expensive and in the meantime the play park has to be kept shut because of the danger that the broken slide presents to children.”

The DUP representative said the local authority had taken steps to prevent vandalism by ensuring that the playground was locked at night.

“I condemn this attack in the strongest terms,” said Ald Fulton. “This is a solid piece of equipment and you would be going well to break it, but its been completely wrecked. You have to ask what kind of person would set out to deliberately destroy something that is intended to give a wee bit of pleasure to youngsters?”