A parish council is set to shut down a public park because it can no longer afford its upkeep after hitting the financial buffer over a £75 bill to clean up a torched car.

In another example of the tough financial times councils are facing, Piddington Parish Council was given back the running of Widnell Park because Cherwell District Council could no longer afford its upkeep.

But now the council says it too cannot afford to look after the park – used by walkers, villagers and a children’s football team.

The final straw came last week when yobs set a stolen vehicle on fire, landing the parish council with a £75 bill to clear the mess. The play equipment was removed in May because of the cost of insurance.

The council says just cutting the grass and clearing litter will cost about £1,000 a year.

That cost falls on the village’s 160 households who will have to pay an extra £6.25 on the council tax precept.

Deputy chairman Stan Hearn said the parish council would decide the future of the site at a meeting on Tuesday.

Options include closing the park completely or partially, or installing CCTV. If closure was recommended, ultimately villagers would make the final decision.

He said: “People use the area at night for drug use. We have found needles up there and other unpleasant things.

“Last weekend I went up there and filled three plastic bags with rubbish, lots of cans and bottles.

“At least before if there was a burnt-out car or flytipping we could phone the district council and they would send someone down.

“Now the ball is firmly in our court and we don’t have the resources.

“We don’t really want to close the park, and we are trying to avoid that at all costs because it would impinge on the juniors having access to the pitch for football.”

Vegetables and toxic weed datura stromonium, known as devil’s weed, started to grow in the topsoil laid by the district council after it removed play equipment. Mr Hearn said he had to clear the weeds and close the park for several days because of the strong weedkiller he used.

The parish council bought the former MOD land in 1980 and in 1989 Cherwell took it on a 25-year lease, at a peppercorn rent. It put play equipment there and was responsible for its upkeep.

The district council – which spent £2,000 a year maintaining the park and play equipment – said the parish council was given six months’ notice that the responsibility for the site would fall back to it.

Spokesman Tony Ecclestone said: “Due to financial pressures the lease was not renewed upon expiry and so the site was handed back to the parish council on July 1 this year.”