A COUNCILLOR has described vandals who caused thousands of pounds worth of damage to the development of a children's play area as "mindless yobs".

Contractors have begun to lay the foundations for the £140,000 play area at Grayfields in Hartlepool.

They arrived at the site on Thursday morning to discover fencing had been pulled down and kerb edging pulled up. Hand stools had also been stolen and work vehicles damaged. It is estimated the damage totalled £3,000.

Councillor Harry Clouth said: "All I can describe the people who did this as is mindless yobs. It is just disgusting when a small minority do something like this after 99.9per cent of the people said they wanted the play area.

"It has really annoyed the Friends of Grayfields, who along with Hartlepool Borough Council and local people have put a lot of hard work into this.

"It is just wanton damage and is demoralising to the people who have worked so hard."

Work to create the play area began last week and is part of a £1.25m revamp of the site, which will also include a mini soccer centre, three tennis courts and a pavilion with changing rooms, toilets and social facilities.

It is thought the work, which was hoped to be complete by the end of March, would be put back at least a week.