Officials vow to hunt down playground fire 'morons'

A councillor has hit out at "morons" who deliberately set fire to play equipment at a park in Kirkby-in-Ashfield.

Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service said it was called to West Park in Forster Street shortly after 19:30 BST on Monday.

The fire was put out but wooden beams and tyres that form part of a playground were left badly damaged and will need replacing at a cost of "thousands of pounds".

Paul Grafton, Ashfield District Council's lead member for community safety and crime reduction, said: "It isn't big, it isn't clever, but hopefully we'll get help from the community to find out who you are."

A fire service spokesperson said a crew from Hucknall found playground equipment well alight and after the blaze was brought under control, an investigation found the cause to be deliberate.

The council described it as a '"reckless act" that put "people, wildlife and property at risk", and Grafton said it could have been much worse.

"The fire could have have spread across the grass, it could have gone to housing," he said.

"They're acting against their own community - it's their own families, their own children perhaps or brothers or sisters that use this equipment and then these, shall we say morons, go and set fire to it."

It comes after Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue declared a "major incident" on Sunday due to multiple callouts "placing significant pressure on operational resources". It was stood down on Monday night.

"They work hard enough as it is and a fire engine at that place stops one turning out to a domestic dwelling," Grafton said. "They can put lives in danger, this is what these people don't see."

The council said it would be investigating to find the people or persons responsible and urged anyone with any information to come forward.

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