Vandals have trashed a new play park in Deal just weeks after more than £110,000 was spent on it.

The play area in Western Road, North Deal, was officially opened just over three weeks ago by Dover District Council.

But reports on Facebook claim individuals have pulled plants out of the ground and have started fires on the equipment.

Swings, climbing frames and a double slide had been installed as part of the long awaited redevelopment of the park.

Cllr Trevor Bartlett DDC, cabinet member for property management, said he was disappointed to hear the news.

He had been instrumental in making the play area a reality.

Cllr Bartlett said: “One of our officers has gone down and it is clear that some of the bamboo plants have been pulled up.

“This park has been such a long time coming and we have always been talking about this project.

“We’ve had some mindless individuals who think it is clever to do this.

“It is just sad.

“We are going to be more vigilant in the area.”

Cllr Bartlett is urging anyone who knows anything about the vandalism to come forward, and confirmed that the council had made the police aware of what had happened.

DDC had replanted some of the fir trees by 4pm on Tuesday.

The play area, designed for younger children and teenagers, includes a grass boulder climbing wall, nature-trail units and grass mounds.

While the park is mostly finished, the council said last month that the rest of the work was “due to be completed shortly”.

Police spokesman Sally Smith said: “The area’s PCSOs are aware of the incident and we are looking into it.”