Vandals have trashed a swing at a play park in Paisley’s Foxbar — just weeks after the facility was opened to the public.
Around £1,000 in damage was inflicted at the space in Morar Drive in an incident which Renfrewshire Council described “disheartening”.
The ‘You and Me’ swing, an inclusive piece of equipment which encourages play and interaction between different generations, was wrecked to the point it had to be removed.
The “mindless act” was said to have taken place at the beginning of July — just over a month after the revamped play park had been unveiled.
Councillor Stephen Burns, who represents the area, said the culprit was “spoiling the experience” for everyone else.
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The SNP man said: “There has been more than £1,000 worth of damage to the ‘You and Me’ swing. This is an extreme act of vandalism.
“It’s shocking. The council don’t have unlimited funds to keep replacing this equipment every time someone decides to wreck it.
“Whoever is responsible for this is spoiling the experience of the brilliant facilities on offer at this play park for the children in the area.
“If anyone has any information about this incident, please report it to the police or wardens.”
The council said an inclusive child cradle swing has been ordered in its place, while officers consider whether another ‘You and Me’ can be reinstalled at a later date.
A spokesperson said: “We were saddened to see the brand-new, inclusive ‘You and Me’ swing had been vandalised to the point it has had to be removed.
“We’re currently investing £1million in our play parks across Renfrewshire to enhance the play experience for young people and families and it’s disheartening when mindless acts of vandalism like this take place.
“An inclusive child cradle swing has been ordered to replace it at this time while we investigate whether a new ‘You and Me’ swing can reinstalled at a later date.
“We would ask that anyone with information on how the damage was caused should please report this to Police Scotland.”
When contacted by the Local Democracy Reporting Service , police confirmed their enquiries are ongoing.
They reiterated that anyone with any information regarding the incident should contact 101.
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