Children’s summer artwork destroyed as vandals trash Homerton Grove Adventure Playground

Children’s artwork was smashed to pieces when vandals trashed an adventure playground in Homerton three times in a matter of days.

Police were called after Homerton Grove Adventure Playground was broken into repeatedly earlier this month.

Equipment was smashed up and work created by children over the summer holidays was left in pieces on the floor.

The playground is one of three run by Hackney Play Association. Director Nicola Butler told the Gazette: "We are gutted, but we've had some really nice support from kids and parents, so we would like to thank those people.

"We had two or three break-ins over the course of a week at the end of August and beginning of September.

"They broke into all of our storage containers with arts and crafts and gardening materials in them. We have been able to repair stuff and we have tidied up now."

Bosses posted about the break-in on Twitter, and one of the people to respond was Diane Abbott.

The MP said: "This is so sad. How can people be so mindlessly cruel and destructive?"

Hackney mayor Phil Glanville also spoke out, saying: "This is terrible news, a much loved space that serves all Hackney young people."