A CHILDREN'S playground has been set on fire in Farnworth.

The play area in Ellesmere Park, near Harrowby was set alight on Tuesday evening.

Local resident Ian Edmundson spotted the fire and put it out using a bucket of water.

The fire burned a hole into the flooring of play area.

Mr Edmundson shared a post on social media alongside the caption: "Someone's little angels have just badly damaged part of the surface of the playing area on Ellesmere Park, Farnworth. Don't parents know where their kids are?"

In recent months, residents have been complaining about the rise in anti-social behaviour in the park and the surrounding streets.

In April, a 16-year-old boy was stabbed in the park and neighbours complained that wheelie bins were repeatedly set on fire by youths and claimed emergency services were called out three times in the same night.

The landlord of the nearby Grapes Inn, Ian McEvans said: "This is a lovely area but on the weekends, and especially when the kids are off, it just gets worse. It's an ongoing issue.

"These kids are drinking bottles of beer, wine and cider, and setting fire to the bins.

"The people who live around here are absolutely terrified of these kids who are leaving a mess and shouting every weekend."

Somebody who lives in the street added: "They were banging on people's front windows and jumping all over people's cars. They are absolute idiots.

"There's a lot of hard working people who were in bed because they have jobs to get up for and work hard looking after their houses and cars round here.

"People are at their wits end."