Abusive girl gang take over children's play area

A grandfather who was in Parson’s Close Recreation Ground last Thursday said that the girls were abusive and later took to sabotaging the play area.

He said: “It was disgusting. I was there with my two grandsons and this group of teenage girls showed up, around eight or nine of them.

“They were swearing at the children.

“When asked to please stop this silly behaviour the response was abuse, obscene language and threats. Eventually, the gang drove mums and their children away from the park.”

After being asked to leave, the group apparently came back with bottles and began pouring water on the ramps and slides.

The man added: “They did that just to stop the children having their play and it was very dangerous.

“Someone could easily have slipped and broken a leg.”

On Friday morning, a meeting took place at Leighton-Linslade Town Council with representatives from Bedfordshire Police to discuss future policing within the town over the next few months.

While negotiating the Operation Dodford agreement that the town council has with Bedfordshire Police, it was decided that patrols would increase within Leighton parks to cover the busy summer period. The agreement secures extra police presence in the town from officers working overtime.

Town clerk Mark Saccoccio added: “This isolated incident has no bearing on the council’s decision to increase summer park patrols within the parks which would have taken place anyway.”