CHILDREN on an Oxford estate have been left without play facilities during half-term after yobs trashed their playground.

The play area at Downside Road, in Risinghurst, was attacked some time during the afternoon or evening of Bank Holiday Monday.

Two swings were snapped and toppled by the vandals.

The playground is managed and maintained by Risinghurst Parish Council, which has warned children not to use the area until it has been made safe.

Parish council chairman Yvonne Lowe said: “It looks like the swings have been rocked backwards and forwards until the legs broke.

“We can’t close the park off but the children can’t use it now. It’s a danger. We have a lot of younger children using the playground and they will be very upset – especially as it is half-term this week.”

The parish council carries out weekly checks on the play area and found no damage or vandalism on Monday morning. A passer-by spotted the damage on Tuesday.

Mrs Lowe said: “I feel sick because we are trying our hardest to do things for the younger kids. You have to wonder what goes through someone’s mind when they do something like this.”

The playground has three swings, a climbing frame, a balancing bar and a slide.

In December Risinghurst was hailed as the safest place in the city to live after police figures showed just 25 crimes on the estate in 91 days.

New figures released this month revealed there were 35 crimes in the Risinghurst and Sandhills area in 89 days between February 1 and April 30 — a drop of 14 crimes compared to the same period last year.

Anyone with information on the damage should contact police on 08458 505505.