VANDALS could force Wyre Forest District Council to hire security for Kidderminster's Brinton Park - as it would be cheaper than repairing the damage.

A shelter which is more than a century old was due to be pulled down yesterday after being rendered unsalvageable by two separate attacks. parks patrol officer Graham Timmins at the Four Winds shelter before it was demolished.

And staggered council officials have been forced to shell out £4,000 repairing the work of vandals in parks across the district in the last month alone.

Brinton Park has been the main target, with a spokesman for the parks department revealing toilet doors are being kicked in "on a weekly basis".

"This year in particular the vandalism has been dreadful," he added.

"We've never had to spend as much repairing damage. It takes cash out of the budget for routine maintenance."

Posts supporting the roof of the Four Winds shelter, also known as Four Corners, were damaged over the weekend, causing part of the roof to collapse. On Monday parks officials were left looking at a £6,000 repair bill or at paying £1,000 to take the shelter down altogether.

But this decision was taken out of their hands that night, when hooligans climbed over security fencing and attacked more poles, leaving the structure "totally unsafe". It was due to be removed yesterday.

Changing room doors at Springfield Park are also a common target, with a recent report to the parks department citing six youths using a large log as a battering ram, causing £400 damage.

Members of the public have been urged to be vigilant and report any incidents of vandalism they see to the police.

Possible remedies under consideration include extra police patrols at Brinton Park, which is thought to have hosted 10,000 people at Saturday's Kidderminster Carnival.

The spokesman said another option was bringing in external security, which would be cheaper than constantly shelling out to repair vandalism.