Neighbours locked out of park after vandals ruin play area

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Paisley’s Fountain Gardens has been forced to shut after being vandalised.The historic park has been targeted over a number of weeks and Renfrewshire Council has had to close the play area due to recent damage.The park, home to the Grand Fountain featuring walruses and other Arctic creatures, is popular with visitors but the gates are now chained. Don't miss the latest headlines from around Renfrewshire.

Sign up to our newsletters here. A council spokesman said: “The safe surface in Fountain Gardens play area has been vandalised over a number of weeks.“The damage reached a level where the play area had to be closed off to the public on May 30.“Repairs were carried out over the weekend of June 3 and the park consequently opened up on June 6.People living near the park are angry that it had to be closed at all due to vandalism.One woman living in the community told the Paisley Daily Express the vandalism has stopped her from taking her children to the park.“All the rubber markings were ripped up around where the kids’ play.“Now they have had to close the park because it isn’t safe.“I have young children and we were going to go round to the park yesterday, but obviously we couldn’t because it was not safe for them anymore.”Councillor Ben Smith, Labour’s representative in Paisley Northwest, says the issue has been raised with him.He said: “The surface of the play area had become unsafe and the damage looked deliberate.