A WOODLAND walk in Chipping Sodbury has been trashed following a school leavers’ sleepover.

Trees were burnt to the ground, bottles were smashed and small plants were pulled up during the midnight party in the woods next to The Ridings training pitches on Wickwar Road.

A pathway through the woodland area has been closed to walkers since the incident on Thursday amid safety fears.

David Shipp, chairman of charity Chipping Sodbury Town Trust which maintains the land, said: "I just cannot understand people who would do this.

"The Forestry Commission planted the trees eight or nine years ago and they were well established. The vandals camped in the plantation and destroyed many mature trees to feed a fire which was also fed by the removal of dozens of support pegs for the new plants.

"Not content with this they proceeded to smash the bottles they had brought with them, besides littering the area with discarded cans and drink cartons.

"This has forced the town trust to close the pathway through the trees to avoid injury to the many dogs and their walkers who use The Ridings."

A number of teenagers were seen leaving the area on Friday morning carrying sleeping bags and the vandalism was discovered shortly afterwards by a town trust groundsman.

Condoms and empty alcohol bottles were found at the scene of the party.

Added Mr Shipp: "We wonder how many parents knew where their children were last Thursday evening? "The Ridings is used by around 1,000 youngsters for sports and playing and this is the result of a few mindless vandals.

"They, or their parents, do not realise that the income the charity receives now has to be diverted in part to pay for the damage and vandalism their actions have caused "We will continue to work to improve the area but it does make you wonder whether it is worthwhile."

Mr Shipp said the total cost of the damage was not yet known and added it would be several days until the woodland pathway was open to the public.

Construction work is currently underway on a new drainage system for The Ridings so the training pitches can be used all year round. A total of £40,000 of lottery funding was awarded to the project after a public vote on ITV’s People’s Millions.

Similar parties are believed to have been held in the Ridge Wood in Chipping Sodbury and Crossbow Park in Frampton Cotterell on the same evening, which was the last day of the school summer term.

Sgt Adrian Fallows, from Chipping Sodbury Police Station, said: "With the school holidays upon us now young people will be about more.

"Parents need to know where their children are going and what they are doing."

He added: "One of the main catalysts for bad behaviour is invariable alcohol so we would ask parents to make sure their children are not leaving home with alcohol.

"If anyone has any concerns about children being supplied alcohol by local retailers please inform the police immediately."