Vandals have smeared chocolate spread over outdoor gym equipment in a Norfolk town.
The sticky mess covered the seats and handles of the equipment at North Walsham Memorial Park making it unusable and there was also broken glass on the ground.
A family, who wished to remain anonymous, discovered the mess when they visited the popular park on Sunday afternoon.
They said because the equipment was covered in so much chocolate they were forced to abandon their visit, staying less than half-an-hour before going home.
A member of the family said: “The place was a mess, we gave up after about 15 minutes and came home. We had made a point to go there because normally it’s a nice park but it was such a mess.
“The kids didn’t want to go home but when there’s sticky chocolate all over the place and broken glass on the floor you give up quite quickly.”
They said while they would put up with a little bit of litter, the chocolate spread would have had to be put on the equipment deliberately.
“You can understand a bit of rubbish here and there but there’s an intent to this, someone has found it funny, it’s not just a few crisp packets lying around. To smear chocolate spread about [takes intent].”
The outdoor gym in North Walsham’s Memorial Park was installed in August 2019 by North Walsham Play which was set up in collaboration with the town council three years previously to address the lack of play and fitness equipment in the area.
The fitness equipment was number three of five priorities set out by the group to address the lack of play equipment in and around North Walsham.
A spokesperson for North Walsham Town council said council groundsmen inspecting the park on Monday found no sign of chocolate spread being smeared on any equipment.
They said: “[We] have also been in contact with North Walsham Play who can confirm that they have not received any reports on this matter either.”
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