VANDALS pushed nails through a children's slide in what has been described as a "sickening incident".

An accident was left waiting to happen after vandals targeted the play area at Piccadilly Gardens Day Nursery in Burnley.

Fortunately vigilant staff spotted the vandalism before any children were allowed to play on the £11,000 slide complex which has now been placed strictly out of bounds.

Ward Coun Kath Reade said: "This is a sickening incident."

Diane Lupton, officer in charge, said the nursery had been the subject of repeated vandalism, but this latest incident was more sinister.

She said: "If a child had used the slide it would have ripped their legs open.

"It's getting beyond a joke. The children were out playing one day when a dart came whizzing past and we had to take them all in.

"This new piece of play equipment was put in in October and it features four towers with slides, but we can't let the children use it because of the vandalism.

"Someone had pulled down fencing to get into the site and pushed nails through the slide they also left glass and darts in the grass and have also uprooted plants the children put in."

The vandalism has left the 70 youngsters with only a hard concrete surface which is not suitable for the babies.

Coun Reade added: "I have been working with the local residents and the police in the Piccadilly area for some time now to bring security measures and play workers into the area.

"I would like to discuss what can be done to protect the nursery equipment in the future possibly through the Safer Cities project."

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