JAGGED pieces of broken glass lined the bottom of a children's paddling pool in Cassiobury Park after a rampage by vandals on Saturday, June 15.

Police were told a group of young men had been in the pool smashing glass.

The area was cordoned off on Sunday, June 16, morning as a clean-up operation got underway.

Whippendell Road resident Mr Vittorio Alcorano discovered the vandalism during a walk on the Sunday morning.

He has called for a fence to be constructed around the park.

The 62-year-old Watford Market cleaner said: "This is a disgrace.

"I felt very sad. I have got four kids grown up now who I used to take to the park.

"Watford Council has done a very good job on the park and this is terrible.

"When I saw this I was upset this should not happen to children.

"The kids could have cut their feet on the glass.

"I regularly walk in the park and parents like to take their children down to the park.

"It's normally nice and tidy."

Mr Alcorano's suggestion to build a fence to prevent intruders causing more damage was dismissed as too expensive by the council.

A spokesman said: "To put up a fence would be incredibly expensive.

"Why should we respond to a few idiots and spoil it for all the others?

"Even if we erect higher fencing around the paddling pool, yobs could still throw bottles over the fence or cut their way through.

"We would welcome police patrols in the area though."

A police spokesman confirmed the community team would be paying particular attention to the area over the coming month.

June 19, 2002 17:00