VANDALS targeting Haworth’s award-winning Central Park have wrecked stone steps, torched litter bins and destroyed children’s seats.

The damage inflicted on the park, which was recently awarded a green flag for being one of the UK’s best public green spaces, has been condemned by a councillor.

Councillor Alan Watts, of Haworth, Cross Roads and Stanbury Parish Council, said: “These people just love wrecking stuff and you wonder what they’re going to break next. It’s getting ridiculous.”

He said he understood the latest bout of vandalism happened over several nights.

He said yobs had left broken glass strewn around the bandstand area, toadstool-style children’s seats were wrenched off their mountings, a litter bin burned out and part of the soft surface of the children’s play area attacked.

“They’ve even had a go at some stone steps – which must have taken some doing,” he said.

“Cones were put around the steps to stop people using them while they were repaired, so they then took the cones and threw them on top of the bandstand.”

Gill Hill, chairman of the Friends of Haworth Central Park, said: “Just before we went away on holiday they tore down the noticeboard near the bandstand.

“We need more police on the ground, there’s a lot of crime going on in Haworth at the moment.

“This [park vandalism] happens every summer. I’ve been told this isn’t Haworth people doing it, it’s people who are coming up from Keighley.”

She recommended installing security cameras to help deter the criminals, and warned the ongoing damage could deter people from using the Haworth Park memorial garden, which is undergoing redevelopment.

“People aren’t going to want to leave memorials there if they think they’ll be trashed,” she said.

A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said: “Police are aware of recent reports of anti-social behaviour in Central Park, Haworth.

“These are being investigated to see if there are any links to the damage which has been caused to some areas of the park.

“Officers are monitoring the park and have also spoken to licensees in the area, as some of the problems may be related to alcohol use.

“Anti-social behaviour and criminal damage will not be tolerated. Anyone with information about possible suspects is asked to contact the Keighley Area Neighbourhood Team on 101, or the independent charity Crimestoppers, who can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.”

A spokesman for Bradford Council, which owns the park, said it had been made aware of the vandalism and encouraged anyone who knows who is responsible to inform police.