THREE children’s play areas have had to be closed after vandals caused more than £5,000 damage by ripping up rubber safety flooring.

Play sites in New Chapel Street, Griffin Park, and Hamilton Street, Blackburn, have all been chained up to prevent youngsters walking on the damaged floor.

All of the areas have been targeted over the last week. Police believe the rubber flooring – made from shredded tyres – has been deliberately pulled up by someone using a large knife. In some places, 5ft patches have been gouged out beneath play equipment, leaving it unusable.

PC Mark Perry, of the south west Blackburn neighbourhood policing team, said: “Someone has gone round cutting dirty great chunks out of the flooring, which is designed to protect the children using the play areas. It is too dangerous now for them to use any of the equipment so the sites have been closed off. The Hamilton Street play area is the worst affected with almost £4,000 damage done there alone.”

“It is unlikely someone has done this to steal the flooring. We have a hunch it isn’t bored kids who are responsible for it either.

“The flooring would have had to be removed with quite a big knife and would have taken some time.

"This suggests someone has done it intentionally, rather than it just being juvenile nuisance.”

Steve Rigby, the council’s director of culture, leisure and sport, said: “We would urge anybody with information about these mindless acts of vandalism to contact police.

"For health and safety reasons we have had to close the play areas to the public while repairs are carried out.

"Vandalism of this type can not only be dangerous, but leaves children without anywhere to play, and diverts resources.”