ARSONISTS have attacked a children s play area on Paradise Field, Ely. They set the contents of an industrial waste bin alight and the blaze then spread to a children s slide. The fire has left the slide in an unsafe condition with one of its main support

ARSONISTS have attacked a children's play area on Paradise Field, Ely. They set the contents of an industrial waste bin alight and the blaze then spread to a children's slide. The fire has left the slide in an unsafe condition with one of its main supports destroyed, said Lib Dem councillor Simon Higginson.

The district councillor for Ely North ward was appalled when he discovered the state of the play area on Saturday morning. He said: "It's bad enough people setting things on fire but even worse that they have put in peril the safety of innocent children who have tried to use this slide over the weekend."

Cllr Higginson said although the play area was initially closed off prior to an inspection by the fire authority, parents and children regained access and were still using the area later in the day despite the wreckage and glass strewn all around.

"I had to contact the police later in the afternoon to ask them to cordon off at least the dangerous slide," Cllr Higginson said.

"Every responsible parent should find out where their children were on Friday night in case they were witnesses to or even involved in this crime.