VANDALS have caused £6,000 damage to a recently renovated play area in Wootton Bassett, but that hasn't halted the scheme to revamp the town's playgrounds.

Now Showfield play area the latest to be given a facelift - has been opened by Mayoress Sylvia Roberts and Coun Susan Cooksley

Equipment at the New Road site was badly damaged last month and repairs will be subject to an insurance claim.

The playground had a £30,000 upgraded just two years ago as part of Wootton Bassett town council's £250,000 scheme to modernise the town's play areas.

Under the same project, work at the Showfield play area has been completed ahead of schedule because contractors began work three months earlier than planned and finished it in just three weeks.

Coun Cooksley, chairwoman of the amenities committee, said the vandals are not going to stop the modernisation scheme from going ahead,

She said: "I was absolutely sickened by what happened at the New Road play area.

"There are two sections, one for juniors and one for toddlers and the see-saws in both areas were completely destroyed. We are talking about thick planks of wood. Kids didn't do that, they are not physically capable. £6,000 is a conservative estimate of how much the repairs are going to cost and it hasn't even been two years since it was opened.

"The company that installed the equipment is visiting this week and then we will get a better idea of the cost. It should come out of the insurance but this kind of thing does push up the cost of the premium and that does affect the costs of the council.

"We have had incidents of vandalism before, but it is the normal minor vandalism that goes on everywhere.

"But this was wholesale destruction, it is the worst we have seen.

"I don't see why the minority has to wreck things for the rest of the people in the town.

"The children are well behaved and they are the ones that are losing out.

"There aren't really any extra precautions we can take to prevent further vandalism.

"The grounds staff keep an eye on things and there are the usual neighbourhood watch schemes.

"We also have a park watch scheme which offers £100 for any information leading to a conviction."

As well as the New Road play area, the Poet's Field play are has also been renovated .