A NEWLY-OPENED £65,000 community skate park and garden is being ruined by abusive teenagers, according to residents of Holgate Park, York.

The Sidings play facility, situated behind the new housing complex off Poppleton Road, opened three weeks ago after a long consultation period involving local parents and children.

But residents say the skate ramp is attracting gangs of older teenagers who have caused considerable damage and been abusive. Log seats and plants have been ripped out and play equipment and signs have been covered in obscene graffiti.

But council officers say residents should give it a chance and work with them to improve it.

Tony Miller, whose house overlooks the park, said the estate had been "turned upside down" since the facility opened.

"I've lived here for more than two years and never had a problem until now," he said. "The park attracts kids from all over York and a lot of boy racers. My little daughter is too scared to go there."

Another resident said: "It's an absolute nightmare. Younger children won't go on there."

City of York Council development officer Derek Gauld, who co-ordinated the scheme, said the council was doing all it could to make the scheme work.

"We want to get together with residents and see what can be done," he said.

"We can look at the possibility of relocating the skate ramp somewhere else in the park or even take more radical measures.

"If teenagers continue to damage it then there may be no option but to remove it, which would be a real shame. You can't expect everything to be perfect straight away.

"We have had a lot of positive feedback from residents and we're listening to their concerns and ideas to make it work.

"It boils down to the problem of teenagers not getting on with the older generation."

Holgate councillor Liz Edge has held three meetings with residents to try to get the matter resolved.

"I've leafleted every house on the estate to get people's views on the matter," she said.

"I'm very sympathetic, but I've got to look at all sides."

Updated: 10:47 Friday, April 11, 2003