Concerned parents have told how a football pitch torched by yobs had become a magnet for disorder.
Fire services were forced to extinguish a blaze at the Dumfries site on Sunday.
Police were called in following the incident at the Lochside Road astroturf facility and say the blaze was malicious.
The incident, at around 3pm last Sunday, left a “large portion” of the artificial surface at the site damaged.
One parent, who asked not to be named, told the Standard: “It’s really a shame. You don’t want to let your kids go down there unattended because there are kids drinking down there all the time.
“I think it’s probably because that’s the summer holidays started and they’re looking for something to do.”
Councillor David McKie, who represents the area in his North West Dumfries ward, urged the community to fight back and shop yobs.
He told the Standard: “I would ask people to either come to me or phone the police. I would urge residents to raise it when they see incidents of antisocial behaviour.
“There is only one way to stop it and that’s to get the police involved. If people wish to remain anonymous then they can come to me with information and I will pass it on. We have to try.”
He added: “It’s terrible. The amount of money we have put in to try to develop that area and bring it up to a good standard and something like this happens. It’s soul destroying.”
Community volunteer Angela Gilmour, who heads up Dumfries project Lochside Is Families Together (LIFT), also condemned the vandalism.
She said: “The facility is there for families to use and we have the likes of this happening.
“For it to be set alight, is not only selfish on the part of those who did it, it’s just not nice.”
Police are keen to hear from anyone with information on the incident and are urged to call Dumfries Community Policing on 101.
