A man described witnessing vandals damaging play equipment at Leavesden Country Park.

A climbing wall was damaged and a park signs removed from the behind the tennis courts near to the totem pole last Friday afternoon.

Pensioner Phillip Cox, of Bell Lane, saw two teenagers smashing the play equipment as he walked through the park at 2.30pm.

He said: "I could hear a lot of banging and when I came t the pay equipment, I noticed two teenagers frantically trying to wreck the play equipment behind the tennis court - so intent were they that they did not notice me.

Mr Cox went to the nearby YMCA building to call the police, before continuing his walk.

But after speaking to another walker, Mr Cox learnt that the teenagers were now by the park’s football pitch, so he returned to the YMCA to pass this information on.

He added: "I then set off again, however, I heard the wrecking continue as they had returned to the equipment so I went back again to let them know in case the police turned up.

"Why would two big lads be so determined to cause such damage having smashed one support out of the ground - this being a large metal support with a lump of concrete on the end, and then use it to wreck other pieces."

Park rangers from Three Rivers District Council, have inspected the area and has made sure it is safe and it will be repaired shortly.

The damage caused by the vandals include two sign posts that were next to the climbing wall being pulled out. The posts were found behind the adjacent bench but the signs are still missing.

Two of the steps on the climbing wall are also missing and dead hedges in the park had been snapped and pulled out.

Roger Seabourne, Chair of Three Rivers Community Safety Partnership and lead member for community safety at Three Rivers DC, said: “I would like to reassure residents that overall crime and anti-social behaviour remain very low in the district.”