Teenagers have been charged after thousands of pounds worth of damage was caused to a north-east community park.
Gates were allegedly broken open and vehicles taken on joy rides at Aden Country Park last week after youngsters were caught on CCTV entering the site after hours.
Now, after a brick was thrown through the Mintlaw attraction’s gift shop window, three teenagers have been charged.
Yesterday, staff at the park said thousands of man hours will have to be spent to shore up security at the grounds spending cash which was earmarked to fund events.
Aden’s landscape officer, Jack Grant, said the damage caused was “horrendous”.
“It’s taken vehicles out of service during the winter when we could be using them for maintenance, and others are out for repairs,” he added.
“People have had to be called out of their homes to deal with this and I was up there until 2am on Friday.
“It’s about £50,000 in damage so far, but, as well as the money, it’s a lot of time they’ve taken up. We’re now worried about what’s going to happen next.”
A spokeswoman for the police said the youngsters charged were all male – two aged 13 and a 14-year-old.
Eleven separate reports were received by officers of suspicious activity at various locations in the area, including incidents at Aden Country Park, two local businesses, a farm and a school.
Detective Sergeant George Nixon, who led the investigation, said: “Tackling opportunistic crimes is a priority.
“Please be rest assured that we invest a great deal of time and effort into bringing those responsible to justice should the worst happen.
“I would encourage anyone with concerns about crime affecting their area to contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 if you would prefer to remain anonymous.”
The Aberdeenshire park is a popular spot for locals and tourists to visit with a caravan area, cafe and agricultural museum on the site.
