Families and dog-walkers were turned away from a popular park in Aberdeen after teenagers trashed the area during a barbecue on Friday evening.
Victoria Park was left strewn with cans, cardboard, bottles, plastic bags and cups, uneaten hamburgers and shattered glass bottles following the impromptu party. A number of benches were also set on fire.
Volunteers who help maintain the Rosemount beauty spot were horrified by the scene of devastation which greeted them on Saturday morning.
A five-strong team from the Friends of Victoria and Westburn Park (FOVWP) told children and dog walkers to stay away for fear of cutting themselves on the glass.
It took the volunteers two-and-a-half hours to tidy up the mess, filling nine bags of rubbish in the process.
Last night one member of the group hit out at the culprits.
Sanders Paterson, who goes to the park every Saturday to plant bulbs and flowers, said: “We’ve had a few incidents with rubbish before but never anything as bad as this.
“”Several benches were left burnt and ruined and the mess they left meant it wasn’t safe for children.
“People who saw the group on Friday evening said there were several of them aged around 14 or 15.”
The 73-year-old added: “No one would deny youngsters should have a bit of fun, but they should have a sense of responsibility as well.”
Councillor Bill Cormie, who represents the Rosemount and Midstocket ward, said it was unfair that volunteers were left to deal with the situation.
He said: “The Friends of Westburn and Victoria Park are a handful of dedicated local volunteers who do a sterling job.
“They are there every Saturday morning and they make a tremendous difference for the whole community “They do not deserve to be having to clean up someone else’s mess.
“The park is for everyone’s use but if they had not cleaned it up it would have been left in an absolute tip until Monday.”