PARENTS of children who have been vandalising Wellington Park are being warned that the damage will cost them money.

The park, which has been owned and maintained by the town council since April, has suffered a number of incidents of vandalism both before and after local councillors took it over.

The most recent episode included the theft of plants, snapped tree limbs, and a large quantity of soil thrown into its recently restored fountain.

A council spokesperson said: “This damage is mindless and takes up a lot of staff time to put right.

“We are exploring our options for installing CCTV in the park and will be using it to bring action against the vandals.

“The damage that was incurred over the weekend is being reported to the police.”

Putting right such damage now comes directly out of local council taxpayers’ pockets, as the town council has to take it into account when deciding any increase in its annual precept.

The park’s fountain, which was cleared by council open spaces team member Alan Wilson, had only just been repaired following a leak which put it out of action for several days.

Open spaces team members also gave the whole fountain a fresh coat of sealant and paint.

► Green Flag judges have also recently visited the park, which has held the flag for more tha 15 years in a row, and were shown around by council open spaces manager Darren Hill, who gave them a tour and pointed out historic features, new additions, environmental initiatives, and improvements made since the take-over.

The internationally-recognised Green Flag Award scheme rewards well-managed parks and green spaces and sets a benchmark standard for the management of recreational outdoor spaces.

The council spokesperson said: “We will find out if we have retained our Green Flag later this year, so watch this space.”