Vandals have forced the partial closure of a Whitehaven play park.
Copeland Council has been forced to fence off a climbing frame and play net at the Hensingham park after vandals ripped the protective mat below.
The council will repair the damage – at a cost to the taxpayer – and the police has been informed of the incident, which was uncovered during a routine inspection earlier this week.
Coun Mark Holliday, portfolio holder for open spaces, said: "This sort of damage is unacceptable and we take a ‘zero tolerance’ approach to it.
"Council resources are tight and we cannot continue to use the public’s money to fund repairs due to the irresponsible actions of a minority who do not respect these facilities."
Anyone with information is asked to call Cumbria Police on 101 or email 101@cumbria.police.uk
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