YOBS have been blamed for badly damaging a children’s play area.

The ramp onto a climbing frame - part of a playground near to Kathleen Ferrier Crescent, in Laindon – was heavily damaged and left sharp wooden edges exposed.

The sharp, wooden pieces were strewn across the play area and left parents furious.

Jane Jennings, 34, from Laindon, said: “There’s five or six teens that hang round the park after 3pm. They have nothing better to do.

“I live five minutes away and walk past there everyday and they’re often up to no good. It’s been fixed but it won’t last long. It’s used by kids after school, but they still hang around.”

A spokesperson from Basildon council, said: “Council officers attended park near Kathleen Ferrier Crescent in Laindon on Monday after receiving calls that children’s play equipment had become damaged.

“Upon inspection, it was deemed necessary to replace a set of small toddler climbing steps at a cost of approximately £250.”