Parents in an Oxfordshire village have been left disgusted after "sick" vandals glued nails to a children's play area.
Families arrived at the park in Marcham, just outside Abingdon, to discover seven of the spikes sticking up from swings, slides and climbing frames - prompting a police investigation.
If the nails had gone unseen, unsuspecting toddlers could have been seriously injured by the spikes, leading dismayed residents to voice their outrage.
When images of the nails circulated online, locals said: "Makes me cringe at the thought of a child being hurt... to take the time to do something so sick!", describing the vandals as "sick people".
The "sick" vandal(s) targeted Marcham's children's play area
Google/Marcham Parish Council
Another added: "They're doing it in Didcot too... What is up with people? People are just so sick."
One more commented: "What the actual f**k are people thinking when they do this type of stuff?"
A third, who said they used to live in the village, described the vandalism as "beyond belief", calling for the park to implement CCTV and for residents to "get on" to the council.
A Marcham Parish Council statement said: "Vandalism occurred in the play area over the weekend of May 11/12 - this has been reported to the police who are investigating the incident.
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Police said they had received reports of criminal damage and were investigating
Getty/Google
"The equipment has been made safe, but please observe the notices on the gates, and check the play equipment before letting your children play on it."
The council's clerk said: "We are shocked and horrified by the incident.
"It is beyond comprehension that anyone would sabotage a play space like that but thankfully no children were injured.
"The nails were found on toddlers' swings too, as well as a slide and a rotating platform... They were glued onto the equipment with hard glue - a bit like superglue - but have now been removed," the clerk told the Daily Mail.
The clerk assured worried parents that the area was now safe, but warned that if the vandalism happened again, authorities may have to close the play park - located just a few hundred metres from a school.
They added that the Parish Council was "keeping a close eye on things", saying the area was being checked several times each day.
Thames Valley Police said: "We received reports of criminal damage at The Paddocks, Marcham between 1am on Sunday May 12 and 10am on Monday May 13.
"Officers are investigating the reports... Anyone with any information, please call 101, quoting 43240224827."
