Police patrols have been stepped up to counteract a spike in anti-social behaviour at a well-known park.

Teens smoking cannabis and vandalising the play equipment at Harebreaks Park in Watford has become a frequent sight according to one mum.

Sophie Wilson was walking with her dog and young son to the park one summer afternoon when she saw a group of youths occupying the play equipment.

“I didn’t feel we could go in with them sitting inside the slide smoking weed. It’s not the first time I’ve seen people doing it there but it’s usually in the field,” she said.

She added that more people turned up with a “handover” taking place between two of them, which she believes was the sale of drugs.  

“You do see stuff going on there but I think there’s a lot more that goes on. It’s a problem everywhere in Watford but we’re being told that there isn’t a problem,” she said, referring to the reactions of Elected Mayor Dorothy Thornhill and chief inspector Paul Sandwell to crime statistics released by the Watford Observer last week.

“They need to be real. They need to stop spinning and actually be real because it seems like what they are saying is for their own agenda.

“They said we have a very low crime rate but I don’t know what they are basing that on.”

Mrs Wilson is particularly concerned that the imminent closure of Watford’s only two supervised adventure playgrounds – Harebreaks and Harwoods – will lead to a further increase in anti-social behaviour, with innocent children unable to find a safe, monitored place to play.

“These adventure playgrounds are like youth centres – they are for everyone,” she said.

“In the woods there is a little area with lots of empty cannabis bags but staff from the adventure playground clean it up. They’re keeping the surrounding area clean as well as the playground.

“These new parks they’re talking about are only going to get trashed and vandalised.”

A park bench was targeted by arsonists in September, and in recent weeks police have received several reports of yobs pelting cars with stones and other missiles in the Harebreaks area, in one case shattering a window and showering a two-year-old boy with glass.

Police said the local Safer Neighbourhood Team was “aware of issues regarding antisocial behaviour at the Harebreaks play area”.

Police patrols in the area have been increased as a result, in addition to four cannabis warnings which have recently been issued.