MINDLESS vandals have wreaked havoc at play area which cost hundreds of thousands of pounds to create.The childrens' area at Holywells Park was found trashed by a park ranger yesterday morning after parts of the climbing ship had been torn down.

MINDLESS vandals have wreaked havoc at play area which cost hundreds of thousands of pounds to create.

The childrens' area at Holywells Park was found trashed by a park ranger yesterday morning after parts of the climbing ship had been torn down.

Ipswich Council leader Liz Harsant, a regular user of the park, described the actions of the perpetrators as being “selfish” and “mindless”.

She said: “It really is so selfish that these people have done this. The park is so popular, even during the winter months, and for people to have done this is just terrible.

“We've had incidents of graffiti in the past - but there's never been anything like this. It's mindless vandalism.”

Mary Platten, vice chair of the Holywells Management Board, said: “We get these things done for people in the area and you work so hard, but some people just have no respect for anything.”

The play area in the park, bordering Nacton Road, Myrtle Road and Bishops Hill, was redeveloped and restored in August 2007, after Ipswich Borough Council spent over �500,000 on bringing the standards of the open space up to par.

The state of the art children's play area was opened in 2007. It was named The Discovery and designed following a galleon theme after the ship which sailed to North America to Jamestown in 1607.

The play area has around 20 pieces of equipment, along with sheltered picnic areas, and attracts youngsters from all over Ipswich and beyond.

Mrs Harsant said that the damage would cost thousands of pounds to repair.

She added: “We had someone come down to have a look and our estimations are that it will cost about �2,000 and �3,000.

Have fallen foul to vandalism? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk