A WEST CUMBRIAN town council has been left at least £1,800 out of pocket after ‘senseless vandalism’ at playparks in Workington over the weekend.

Workington Town Council have reported that the sitting swing at a park Cusack Crescent in Workington was damaged over the weekend, and a bench on the Moorclose Park was set on fire and vandalised thought also to have happened over the weekend.

The council have said that the sitting swing on Cusack Cresent will cost £1,800 to replace – with no cost yet given for the repair of the bench at Moorclose.

Mayor Neil Schofield has hit out at the small number of individuals who he said seem ‘hellbent on wrecking’ work the council does to improve the area.

Mayor of Workington, Neil Schofield said: “I think it’s just acts of mindless violence from individuals who should know better, we are trying to improve the area and one or two people are hellbent on wrecking that.

“It’s disappointing from a community point of view that there are so many people who love and respect the area and one or two individuals have no respect."

The Mayor also said that the council are disappointed to be having to fork out to replace things already purchased, as they try to put on community events promoting Workington.

He said: “We will have to bear the cost of replacing that, we only have a certain amount of money in the budget and we have to balance what we spend that on for the benefit of the whole community and things like the light switch, in the past has brought over 40,000 people into the town centre over the weekend, it’s fantastic for the local economy and the shops.

“So, when we are then spending money on things we have already purchased, it’s very disappointing.”

Cumbria police confirmed they had received two reports of vandalism on the evening of November, 4.

One report was damage to swing basket, where the plastic has been smashed. The incident was believed to have happened between October,30 and November, 1.

The second was that a bench had been set on fire, believed to have happened between November, 1 and November, 4.

Anyone with information relating to this incident can report online at www.cumbria.police.uk/report-it , quoting the incident number. You can also phone on 101.

Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.