A blaze that destroyed newly installed play equipment at Collett Park in Shepton Mallet on Sunday night is believed to have been started deliberately.

Although firefighters from the local station acted swiftly, the playground was significantly affected.

The Incident Commander called in emergency support, and the fire was contained before it could spread to nearby equipment.

In the aftermath, firefighters removed the damaged equipment to ensure safety. Park visitors are now advised to exercise caution when near the affected area.

This incident has understandably sparked considerable anger among local residents.

Mary Evans, a local mother, said: "Our children deserve better than this! The playground is supposed to be a safe space for them to enjoy. It's disgraceful that someone could jeopardise that."

Pictures from the scene depict the severity of the damage to the playground equipment.

A spokesman for the fire service said that based on preliminary investigations, it seems likely the fire was started deliberately.

Long-time resident, Mark Harrison, expressed his outrage: "If this was intentional, it's nothing short of a slap in the face to our community. The person responsible must be held accountable."

In a statement, Shepton Mallet Town Council said: "While we are obviously very disappointed at the deliberate damage in the park, we are working to quickly put it right and ensure that the rest of the park remains a wonderful space for people to play and enjoy their time. The public can be assured that the criminal activity has been reported, there is CCTV footage and this is being followed up with the relevant authorities."

Anyone with information is asked to contact the police on 101.