A POPULAR skate park has been closed after being targeted by vandals.

Signs have been put up around the facility at Lake Meadows, Billericay, after yobs began tearing apart the ramps.

Gates around the skate park, which re-opened in 2011 after a £30,000 revamp, have been locked until further notice while Billericay Town Council, which funds it, carries out urgent repairs.

The authority is also looking into ways to improve security.

It is thought the vandalism took place over the space of a few weeks.

John Buchanan, chairman of Billericay Town Council, said the skate park is in such a dangerous condition it is no longer safe for BMX riders or skateboarders to use.

He added: “It is a shame the damage caused by a few people has had such an effect on the large numbers of youngsters who get a lot of pleasure from this skate park.”

Kevin Blake, councillor responsible for leisure and arts, labelled those responsible for the vandalism as “scum”.

He said: “We don’t mind spending moneywhen equipment is run down, but budgets are tight and we are having to make a lot of cuts, so we can’t justify replacing facilities which have purposely been destroyed.

“It’s so frustrating to see these idiots ruining it for the rest of the community.”

Mother-of-two Louise Lane, from Noak Bridge, regularly takes her children to Lake Meadows.

She said: “Lake Meadows is a beautiful park, so I don’t understand why these yobs insist on vandalising it.

“We need facilities like the skate park to keep youngsters entertained and off the streets causing trouble, but if they keep destroying it, we’re going to lose it for good.

“The council needs to install CCTV as a deterrent and to catch the people responsible for the damage.”