THEY came at night and wrecked a part of childhood... My childhood, my children's childhood, my as-yet-unborn grandchildren's childhood.

It was a vicious act of vandalism which has robbed South Park, in Darlington, of one of its prizes.

I know that on hearing of the demise of the monkey puzzle tree at the hands of saw-wielding louts, some people will say "Yes but it's only a tree. There are plenty more where that came from".

But to my children this was Spiky Tree - and I suspect to many other children, parents and grandparents in the town.

The monkey puzzle tree has stood near the animal cages for the best part of a century, a beautiful specimen now at least 30ft tall.

I grew up with it, and ever since my kids were old enough to visit the park it was the focus for a game.

Hold the child up to the branches, tentatively touch the spikes then pretend it hurts. It was a silly game, but one which they enjoyed.

I started it with Michael, now four-and-a-half, and continued with his sister, Laura, aged two-and-a-half. It has become a ritual.

When we visit the park we have to play Spiky Tree. It is something constant which reassures them that everything is OK with their world.

But several weeks ago, vandals cut a deep gash in the trunk, severing the tubes which allow the tree to draw nutrients from the soil.

The result is that it is dying a slow death, the damage too severe to repair, its leaves already yellowing.

Distressed park staff, who lavish great care on the park, have no option but to fell it in the near future.

Darlington Borough Council will plant a new Spiky Tree, but it will take another century before it reaches such glory.

That probably means that not only have my children lost Spiky Tree, but so have their children, whenever they may be born.

I am livid, and so are others who have heard about what has happened. It is a senseless piece of vandalism.

But there is more to it than that. Over recent months the park, a jewel in the borough's crown, has suffered repeated vandalism.

Several trees had to be felled after being burnt. A beautiful Victorian flower pot was smashed, a statue of an eagle had its wing ripped off, and the play area is repeatedly vandalised.

The vandals are to blame, of course they are, but in my view the borough council must shoulder some responsibility for having delayed so long in addressing the problem.

Thankfully, the signs are that now some action is about to be taken.

I am not questioning the council's commitment to protecting the environment.

I have seen it time and again, as a member of the environmental forum which comprises councillors, council officers and local environmentalists. Their efforts do them credit.

Darlington Borough Council has also submitted a bid for National Lottery money to restore South Park to its full Victorian glory.

Excellent stuff. But, in the meantime, not enough has been done to address the problem caused by the huge gaps in the perimeter fencing, allowing easy access at night.

In New York, the local authority and police pioneered the broken window theory.

If a window is smashed and left unrepaired, people will think no-one cares and smash more windows. Before long, you have a street full of broken windows, and all because you did not repair the first one.

Missing park fencing puts out the same message. I know that the most determined vandals might clamber over fences anyway, but making it difficult might deter a few others once the park gates are locked. It may look ugly, but not as ugly as dying trees.

Thankfully, the council confirmed last Thursday that it is investigating the idea of temporarily patching the gaps in the fencing - an excellent idea, but overdue.

The council also says that new fencing is the first priority if the National Lottery cash does come through. The outline bid has been approved and the detailed bid goes in this October, with a decision due next spring.

Darlington council says it cannot purchase replacement fencing before then because its value would be taken off the National Lottery award. I can appreciate that. But the council, having in my view moved too slowly on the fence issue, needs to get the patching in place as quickly as possible. If action is not taken rapidly, the vandalism will escalate and I will have to keep explaining to my kids why nasty people attack trees for no good reason.

At their ages, it is a harsh lesson which could wait, at least for a year or two.