'Disgraceful' vandalism closes park zip line
Glenfield Parish CouncilA parish council said it had been forced to close a newly installed zip line in a village park after "absolutely disgraceful" vandalism.
The authority said CCTV footage showed equipment at Ellis Park in Glenfield, Leicestershire, being damaged shortly before 19:00 BST on Sunday.
Callum Wilkinson, grounds manager for Glenfield Parish Council, said timber guardrails which were part of the start station for the zip line had been damaged beyond repair.
The council said it had reported the damage to Leicestershire Police, which said it would make further inquiries.
Wilkinson said: "This zip line isn't very old and it has become such a loved attraction for all families and for the children.
"A great deal of money went into providing the pieces of equipment for the community to enjoy and this intentional damage – it just shows a complete lack of respect for the park and local residents."
He said the zip line would be closed while the council repaired the damage and reinspected the equipment.
"It was a brand new zip line, it has only probably been in a month, it is so heavily used.
"To cause that kind of damage you would need something substantial," Wilkinson said.
The parish council described the behaviour as "absolutely disgraceful" in a post on social media.
Wilkinson said he was not yet sure how much the repairs would cost but specialist materials would have to be ordered, which would be "two or three times" more expensive than "typical" timber.
He said it was not the first time the park had been vandalised as a saw was used to damage part of a slide last year.
The parish council said it had reported the incident on Leicestershire Police's website.
A spokesperson for the force said officers would be making further inquiries and urged anyone for further information on it to come forward.
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