Reading Borough Councillors have condemned those responsible for an arson attack on a brand new play area in Tilehurst as "mindless vandals".
On Thursday night (August 5) Reading vandals ripped up parts of a newly installed artificial surface at the play area in The Meadway, placed it in a nearby half-pipe for skateboarders and BMX cyclists and set it alight.
The play area was only opened last month.
Emergency repairs have already been carried to make both the play area and the BMX track safe to use.
The new Reading Meadway play area was built with £37,500 of funding from the Government’s Playbuilder scheme, funding which is longer available to the Council for new projects after it was cut by the Government.
The costs of repairing the damage will be borne by the Council and is expected to run into hundreds of pounds.
Cllr Chris Harris, Policy Advisor for Reading Education and Children’s Services, said: "I am appalled by this mindless act of vandalism. It is completely senseless and, at a time when there is very little money available to the Council to provide valuable facilities for young people like this play area, it puts even greater pressure on the limited funds available. I very much hope the culprits are caught."
Tom Stanway, Lead Councillor for Reading Culture and Sport, said: "’The repairs we now have to do on the play area take scarce money from other areas. Whilst the perpertators might have got momentary pleasure from doing this damage, I hope that they realise what they have done and that they have blighted the lives of local residents, and spoilt the pleasure of those children who wanted to play there today.”
Reading Borough Council
