A CALL for extra police patrols on Ledbury Recreation Ground has followed a spate of vandalism, including the burning of two picnic tables.

Town clerk June McQuaid said many of the problems take place in the evening and that under-age drinking may be a factor.

Last week, a wooden picnic table and seating was partially burnt and "pulled to pieces".

The remains have been taken away by contractor John Hiles, who will inform the town council what it will cost to make repairs or replace the smashed facility.

Recently, another picnic table, this time made of plastic, was set alight just a few days after it was installed. The blaze left it a melted wreck.

Mrs McQuaid said: "Someone had lit a fire on the table top. Silly things like that are regular happenings.

"They keep spoiling things that they obviously make use of themselves, otherwise they would not be sitting there in the first place. We would like to see more police patrols at night.

"It's the evening when these problems happen and it might highlight under-age drinking, which may be causing the mindless vandalism."

Sgt Bob Wilson said that people down go to the Recreation Ground "for a drink and a smoke".

But he added: "Some people are downright criminal and don't need to be fuelled by anything to uproot trees and carve their names in things.

"What we try to do is target areas of disorder, which we call hotspots. We are aware of the damage caused down the Recreation Ground.

"It's a hotspot for us and an area for targeted patrols in the early to late evening."

Sgt Wilson agreed with Mrs McQuaid that the damage caused to public facilities on the Recreation Ground "defied logic".

Town Coun Bob Wreford said of the vandalism: "If it's happening in Ledbury it's a great pity. I call on any respectable citizen to help counter this."