A £50,000 playground opened just three months ago has been wrecked by arsonists.

Youngsters have been left heartbroken after the new park, off Newfield Drive in Highercroft, Blackburn, was ruined by fire on Thursday night – and council bosses say they may not have the money to replace the climbing frame.

The playground was officially opened at the end of July, and also includes a Wendy house, which was also badly damaged by fire.

The council’s leisure and culture representative Coun Michael Law-Riding said: “There are a lot of good kids up here, and they need stuff to do. Now it has ruined by a minority of idiots.

“A lot of hard work went into this from local community groups, and the kids loved it.”

With town hall budgets already stretched, council chiefs will struggle to repair the damage.

Coun Law-Riding said: “I would love to replace it. But we will have to consider budgets. Everything’s tight at the moment.”

Yesterday local youngsters on their half-term holiday steered clear of the burned-out playground as council staff cleared the debris.

Christine Egan, 53, of Whitehaven Close, said: “I am disgusted. They had only just finished putting it in and it was somewhere really good for kids to go to.”

A 21-year-old man, who lives in Lytham Road, added: “I am not surprised this has happened around here, but it’s a real shame.”

The playground was built under the £2.5million Play Pathfinder scheme, under which the council bids for Government funding to set up facilities across the borough.

Highercroft ward councillor Dorothy Walsh said: “It’s a crying shame.

"Parents should be taking more responsibility for their children.”