PLAIN-CLOTHED police are patrolling a vandal-hit park as part of a war on vandals in the run up to Bonfire Night.

The move comes in a bid to repeat the widespread damage which culminated in Blackburn's Corporation Park bowls pavilion being torched this time last year.

And the Blackburn with Darwen councillor responsible for parks today warned the youngsters responsible for more than 90 crimes in the park this year: "We're watching and you will be caught."

The council refused a plea by local bowlers to lock up the park, off Preston New Road, this weekend even though crime in the park is rising. So far this year there have been more than 70 reported crimes in the park with 20 confirmed cases of vandalism.

The cost to tax payers has been £10,000 this year alone -- not including the cost of rebuilding the pavilion set alight in the early hours of November 6 last year.

Bins have been destroyed by fire, benches torched and the park's famous glass house has also been a target on numerous occasions.

More than £1million has been spent on repairing it in the last five years.

Police are now deploying extra uniformed officers to patrol the park and the roads around it, while plain-clothed officers will also keep a look out inside the park.

Coun Kate Hollern, executive member for leisure at Blackburn with Darwen Council, said that their security efforts were being beefed up.

She declined to say how, apart from revealing that CCTV cameras have been repositioned to give clearer pictures.

Police say that, along with Rhyddings Park in Oswaldtwistle, and the grounds of Clitheroe Castle, Corporation Park is the most problematic open space in the area.

They have already launched schemes to try and identify why juveniles are causing so many problems and prevent them happening again.

Park user Sidney Smith, of Lynwood Road, Blackburn, spoke to councillors at a recent forum meeting to thank them for rebuilding the pavilion -- and to plead with them to make sure it doesn't happen again.

He said: "Our concern is that, with Bonfire Night coming up again, the people who did it last year might try it again. "We are very pleased to have the new pavilion but they seem to be setting fire to everything in the park. We don't want it to happen again. We have an excellent facility and we don't want it damaging again. We want it to get better.

"We would like to ask for it to be closed and assurances that action is being taken."

Coun Kate Hollern said: "We certainly don't want this to happen again but locking up the park is not the answer.

"We are working with the police and security has been stepped up. Plain clothed officers will be on patrol and we have made sure we can receive better CCTV pictures in the park.

"It is important for people to know that they will be caught but people need to come forward and tell who is responsible."

Sgt Peter Moore, of Blackburn Police, said: "We are aware there are problems in Corporation Park and we are stepping up our operations in the area this weekend.

"We will have a higher police presence in the area, both visibly and not. We will also be utilising the Special Constabulary to make sure last year's incident cannot be repeated.

"There are problems in Corporation Park and the crime figures do not reflect the true extent of the problem."