'Shameful': Opening of Laois playground delayed due to vandalism

Pictured: Portarlington in the People's Park under construction in February

placeholder image — Pictured: Portarlington in the People's Park under construction in February

Parents with children have allegedly trespassed and caused damage in Portarlington's new playground

A new playground is under development in Portarlington, with the opening delayed due to alleged destruction caused by trespassers this week.

It is alleged that parents with young children broke through the fencing surrounding the site, and trampled the recently planted grass seeds.

Pictured: The playground in the People's Park, Portarlington under redevelopment

Portarlington Independent Cllr Aidan Mullins took to social media to slam this behaviour, and has called for locals to report suspicious behaviour to Gardaí.

"Some people broke through the fencing around the Children’s Playground in Portarlington at the weekend and damaged the recently seeded grassed areas/mounds," he said.

"These will now have to be repaired and re-seeded which will further delay the opening of the Playground. If you see people in the Playground please notify the Gardaí immediately. I'm told that parents were involved along with the children," the Cllr finished.

Locals took to Facebook in outrage, calling for justice.

"Like the guards can be contacted that easily.... that new playground won't last five minute once it is open, it will be vandalised all the time by the teenagers. And as before, they will be on the stuff that is only meant for young kids," one user commented.

Pictured: the People's Park has been redeveloped and modernised

"The new playground needs a fence similar to what's around the astro that would be locked at night or else its all a waste of money and this will just be the first incident of many..." another Facebook user replied.

"It's not going to work down there unless there is CCTV and closed off at night, but how on earth could parents actually do it, that's shocking," another comment read.

"The amount of parents that were in it with kids yesterday was unreal, I thought it had opened already, so I'd say it wasn't all the youths fault somehow," someone added.