VANDALS have put a skate park under threat of closure. The skatepark next to Saxon Pool, Biggleswade, was opened in April 2004 at a cost of £250,000, money supplied by the Mid Beds District Council and Sport England. Now the committee responsible for the

VANDALS have put a skate park under threat of closure.

The skatepark next to Saxon Pool, Biggleswade, was opened in April 2004 at a cost of £250,000, money supplied by the Mid Beds District Council and Sport England.

Now the committee responsible for the park says closing it down might have to be considered after a spate of vandalism.

The Biggleswade and District Three Style Association has no money left in the bank. It cannot afford to switch the floodlights on at night and can no longer meet the cost of repairs to equipment.

Last week slides were daubed with graffiti and rubbish bins damaged or stolen with the trail of damage costing around £500 which association project co-ordinator Ken Lynch paid for out of his own pocket.

It also meant association chairman Rex Skinner, 70, spending hours cleaning up the park and removing the graffiti.

Most Sunday mornings the skatepark is littered with empty beer and soft drink cans. Empty BB gun pellet packets have also been found.

Other rubbish left on the park has included lampposts. Wood covers from the drying rooms at the nearby swimming pool have also been found at the park.

Police have mounted extra patrols in the area at weekends but the vandalism has continued.

"It can't go on. There is now a very real threat we will have to close the park," said Sandy resident Mr Lynch, 69.

"I am a pensioner and I cannot afford to spend my own money repairing the vandalism. I have loaned the association £500 but I am doing it for the youngsters of the town.

"This skatepark is one of the best in the country and was built for the young people of Biggleswade. Now a minority is putting the park in danger of closing."

Mr Skinner this week appealed through The Comet to those trying to wreck the skatepark to stop.

"Stop now before it is too late," he said.

"There are bad apples in every bunch of kids but it is the bad apples that are destroying this park.

"We now have a group of youths coming to the park and using the ramps as graffiti boards. These jack the lads are just showing off in front of their mates and young girls.

"It is this minority who are threatening a facility many people enjoy. The rubbish being thrown around the park is very bad and at my age I can only do so much.

"I am appealing to those who misuse the park to stop. We don't want this facility to close. And if it does vandals will be responsible.