‘Who is this bored that they have to do this for fun?’

21:17, 22 Aug 2025Updated 21:17, 22 Aug 2025

A fire was started a children’s playground in Cheadle(Image: Manchester Evening News)

Fires have been started in three Stockport parks overnight, in what a local councillor has called ‘reckless vandalism’.

Local residents took to social media on Friday (August 22) to report the incidents in Carrs Road Park, Diamond Jubilee Park and Abney Park in Cheadle.

The three green spaces are all within a half mile of each other. It is not known whether the incidents are related.

Shocking photos posted to Facebook show the astroturf around the children’s play area in Diamond Jubilee Park melted and blackened by the blaze.

Jilly Julian, who is the Lib Dem councillor for Cheadle East and Cheadle Hulme North, told the M.E.N she believed the perpetrator had ‘wheeled a bin’ into Carrs Road Park and ‘set it alight’ at about 1:30am.

A fire was started at a children’s playground in Cheadle(Image: Jilly Julian)

“It’s such a shame,” Cllr Julian told the Manchester Evening News. “It’s caused a lot of damage to a place that is really busy at the moment, with the summer holidays and the hot weather.

“That has now been taken out of use, in what seems really to be a case of reckless vandalism.”

Cllr Julian said the matter had been reported to police and encouraged residents to report it if they had witnessed any suspicious activity in the area.

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Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service confirmed that they had attended Carrs Road and Diamond Jubilee Parks at 1:25am and 5:10am respectively.

Evidence of another fire was spotted in front of Abney Hall, though it is not known if this was related to the other incidents.

Another fire appeared to have been started in front of Abney Hall(Image: Manchester Evening News)

Local residents were quick to express their dismay in comments on Facebook.

“What’s wrong with people,” wrote one. “I know, let’s ruin something for younger children during the summer holidays…pathetic.”

“Who is this bored that they have to do this for fun?” wrote another. “One day they will have kids and realise how irresponsible and disrespectful they were.

Greater Manchester Police have been contacted for comment.