Ref.10452PARENTS are refusing to allow their children to go to St Aldhelm's Mead play park on their own because they say they fear they could be attacked by gangs of youths congregating there.

One mother said she would not even take the children to the park because she herself felt intimidated by the gangs.

The town council was forced to remove £14,000 of play equipment from the park earlier this month after it had been vandalised.

Slides, swing and a play hut was badly damaged.

Parents of children in Burton Hill, a short walk from the park, said they are concerned that they cannot send their older children to the swings on their own.

Tracey Poole, 37, who has two children aged four and nine, said she would not allow her nine year old to go to the park alone. She thought the situation had got worse recently.

She said: "I was down at the park on Monday afternoon. There were youths there on the swings. They were not doing anything but it was very intimidating being on my own with two children."

"There have been age restrictions at most play parks I have been to elsewhere."

Other parents were concerned about safety at the park.

David Sheppard, 38, of Burton Hill, said he would not send his ten-year-old to the park without an adult.

He said: "A group of kids went down to the park a few months ago and came back very quickly because there was a group of youths there."

Parents have complained that as well as vandalising the play equipment, youths have left broken glass beer bottles in a sandpit.

They feared that young children playing there could get serious cuts.

Mum Nicola Crouetto, 33, who also lives at Burton Hill said: "My husband walked past the park one evening about a month ago and there was a huge congregation of youths down there.

"A group of children used to go down to the park to play last summer but I wouldn't let my son go there by himself now."

North Wiltshire district councillor and deputy mayor Patrick Goldstone, said he was very concerned at the problems in the play park.

He said the town council was now working with Malmesbury police to try and improve the situation.

He said: "The town council always works very hard to make sure playgrounds are up to scratch.

"We are liaising with the police to try and deal with the problem of aggressive youths ."

Police in the town have been looking at ways to tackle the rising tide of rowdy behaviour by teenagers.

A system of antisocial behaviour orders was to be introduced by police last year, but bureaucracy has delayed its implementation for seven months.

Police are hoping the scheme will be introduced as soon as possible.

Another scheme being considered to tackle anti-social behaviour problems is the banning of alcohol in the town centre.

The idea is supported by the police but the town council has raised some initial objections. It will consider the matter fully at a future meeting.