The chairman of Yelverton Community Projects expressed his frustration this week after a picnic bench in the children’s play park in the village was vandalised, for a second time.

Ric Cheadle said someone had lit a disposable barbecue over the weekend while it was standing on the recycled plastic picnic bench and then added wood chippings to it from the playing surface.

‘The bench was brand new and cost more than £1,000, it was a replacement as the old one was vandalised, and funded through a donation by kind local residents,’ he said.

‘After lighting the barbecue on the picnic bench they left it there and all their rubbish for others to dispose of. Thank goodness no-one was injured or the play park not further damaged by this completely unacceptable behaviour.’

Mr Cheadle said the ‘wonderful’ volunteers would once again try and repair the damage thatwas caused.