A NEW playground has been damaged by young vandals a week after contractors praised estate children for looking after it.

Hundreds of youngsters have enjoyed the £120,000 play area at Woodhouse Close, Bishop Auckland, which was built mainly for children under the age of four.

Families helped with planning and design and voted to name it after community worker Jane Armstrong, who will be performing the playground opening ceremony on Friday afternoon.

So far the project, which is partly funded by a multi-million pound Government Sure Start initiative, has been hailed a success.

Terry Batson, boss of contractors Batson Landscape Services, even gave all the young people in the area a pat on the back for looking after the site.

Yesterday, however, he was angry that bolts had been removed from a netball stand at the weekend, and security fencing had been trampled to the ground.

He said: "It is a mindless minority who are spoiling it for the hundreds of kids who are enjoying using the playground.

"There are a lot of parents there and I am surprised that they don't stop this happening.

"It gave me a lot of pleasure to be able to praise to the people of Woodhouse Close, but now it seems that a few youngsters are determined to spoil the enjoyment of others.

"I just don't know what makes these people tick."

Mrs Armstrong urged parents to help look after the playground.

She said: "I appeal to families to realise that this is an excellent resource. It is something really good for all the children and especially the little ones.

"Part of the problem is that there is no funding for a park keeper which might have helped solve the problem.

"We just hope it will be left alone."

The Sure Start programme aims to give children in deprived areas a better start in life by encouraging families to work alongside professionals to develop services and facilities.

In Wear Valley it also offers free activities such as swimming sessions, aqua-natal exercise classes, drop-in sessions and a weekly opportunity to see a doctor.