FRUSTRATED residents have called for fencing to be built around a children’s park after another vehicle ploughed into skate park equipment.

Pictures taken on Friday, February 14, show a damaged blue Toyota which was driven through Rumworth Park, off Willows Lane, before being abandoned.

It has now been removed by police after reports from neighbours.

It is not the first time a vehicle has been driven on the park. In November 2018, Bolton Crown Court heard that driver Michael Goodridge did donuts around the tarmac, forcing young children to scatter and avoid his car.

Neighbours have also reported other vehicles on the park, including off-road motorbikes.

Now, residents are calling for fencing to be built around the park after a previous barrier was taken down several years ago.

“It’s really not safe, it’s only a matter of time before some child gets seriously injured,” said campaigner Alan Johnson.

“The fencing had been there for years before it was removed but now people are causing problems.

“For a start children can run straight out of the park and across the road which is very busy.

“There have been joy riders going onto the park because the fencing isn’t there and just driving round which is really dangerous.

“This has gone on for too long and nothing has been done.”

Inspector Duncan Haynes, who works as neighbour police officer in the area, urged anyone who spots any anti-social behaviour issues to get in touch with police.

“I would encourage people to report anything like this,” he said.

“We have an intelligence-led system and the more people that report something to us the more we can do.

“We have run operations before on anti-social behaviour and we’ve had a some great results from that.

“We’ve also had operations to combat off-road bikes that have worked well. We just need people to give us the information.”

A council spokesperson said: “We are aware of the issue and have recently provided a cost estimate to the ward councillors who are considering using public realm funding to pay for new fencing.”