Fife playpark worth £150,000 vandalised less than six months after opening

A new playpark in Fife which cost over £150,000 to build has been closed for repairs after it was vandalised.

Images show the new Methil Oakvale Road park covered with white paint dumped on the ground and tracked across the play surfaces.

Fife Council recently provided more than £150,000 of funds for the project which opened less than six months ago and has now been forced to close.

Councillor John O’Brien said on Tuesday: “The park is now closed until further notice, and it’s going to cost a lot of money, thousands of pounds, to clean it.

“The council has already spent a lot of money replacing that park and updating it for the young people. It’s only been in use six months and it’s been vandalised already.”

The park was opened with all new equipment in February. LDRS

He added: “It’s shocking, I’m really disappointed and disgusted with it, that anybody could do that to a new park. It’s stopping the kids from enjoying themselves.”

David Paterson, Fife Council’s community manager for the area, said: “Anti-social behaviour like this is a blight on our communities.

“Local families have been deprived of a place to play, and the council’s left with a bill to clean it up, money that would be better spent elsewhere.”

He continued: “We’ve arranged for a cleaning team to inspect the damage and remove as much of the paint as they can. We hope to reopen the park within the next few days.”

The park was opened with all new equipment in February after Levenmouth Area Committee councillors invested £155,000 from the Community Recovery Fund.

At the time, Cllr O’Brien welcomed the project, saying people have long been asking for play park investment in Methil and feeling neglected as time goes on.

Cllr O’Brien said the police had been contacted over the vandalism.

Mr Paterson added: “I’d urge anyone with information about this incident to call the police on 101.”