Chidren abandon play areas because of thugsCHILDREN in Lancaster are being driven out of their playgrounds by a plague of teenage vandals. Youngsters up to the age of ten are too frightened to play on the swings and slides at a play area on River Meads housing estate in Skerton after teenagers congregate there setting fire to bins, drinking and abusing residents. Last week the Citizen brought your news about climbing frames at St Chad's play area on Torrisholme Road which had been torched.

And now part of a third playground off Aldrens Lane in Skerton has been fenced off following a similar outbreak of vandalism.

One resident on the River Meads housing estate, who remained anonymous for fear of reprisals, said many teenagers from the Beaumont estate hang around the park because they used play in the field before the houses were built there.

The resident said: "They've smashed the fence, I've had to wash dog excrement off the swings and they spit at the young children. We're all waiting for a new play area to be built on Mount Avenue and maybe they will all hang about there."

Resident Pam Trotman who has two children aged seven and 12, said: "The park is quite secluded and the children come with ghetto blasters and drink. The bin has been set on fire and I wish the council had never built a park because it just causes more trouble than it's worth."

Chief Lesiure Officer David Owen told the Citizen they were considering putting Closed Circuit Television cameras in some problem play areas.

He said: "The wanton destruction vandals inflict on the play areas is very alarming and now we have to work closely with the police. We have been considering using CCTV cameras but they're not very practical.

"At the moment we're working with residents on the Beaumont estate to build a park there which is long overdue. We want to provide safe areas for children to play which is well away from traffic."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.