Enstone village play park, situated next to Enstone Primary school has had its playground equipment daubed with spray paint. The play park, which has been around for nearly 50 years, had a 30k redesign and rebuilt just two years ago, but isn’t the first time that it has been vandalised as the old equipment had been defaced before the replacement equipment was constructed. There have been other isolated incidents involving spray paint on trees in the surrounding area and damage to a memorial sundial.

Residents of the village have been trying to assist in returning the equipment back to its original condition but have faced difficulties in removing the graffiti from the wooden equipment, designed and constructed by local craftsman Trevor Stuart. Numerous paint removal chemicals have been tested on the paint but to no avail. It is now hoped that specialist substances can be obtained which will restore the park to its former state.

The graffiti features obscene language, inappropriate for the school grounds which the play park abuts. Parents have posted on local social media pages that they will be avoiding the popular park, as they do not wish to  expose their children to the expletives. 

This comes at a time when Enstone is expanding, as a large new housing estate of predominantly family homes is nearing completion along the Oxford Road. A spokesperson for the Playing Fields Association Committee which owns the park said: “We have a plan to try and remove more of the blue paint but will have to wait for drier weather before attempting it.”