A children's playground in St Paul's Cray was the target of a suspected arson last week, according to police.

Officers from Cray Valley West said they are searching for the culprits after the fire last Wednesday (March 14) at 7.40pm.

Images have since emerged online showing the damage caused to play equipment at the recreation ground, which is close to Riverside School on Main Road.

Deputy leader of Bromley Council Peter Fortune said those responsible were "morons" in a Twitter post.

He wrote: "This made me very sad - we used to take the kids to play here. They called it the 'Nessie Park' and we spent hours there. Please help the police find the morons who did this."

Councillor Kate Lymer, executive member for public protection and safety, told News Shopper: "This act of sheer wanton vandalism is despicable whatever the target, but when we can see that it removes a loved play area for local children, it is even more demonic.

"It cuts right to the heart of our local communities. We would very happy to prosecute those responsible if we can gain evidence to do so. Please let the council or the police know if you know anything or saw anything, no matter how small.

"We will be putting some posters in the vicinity calling for information. And don’t forget that Bromley Council offer a £500 enviro-crime reward for evidence that leads to an arrest. Link to report it."

A spokeswoman from the London Fire Brigade said they were not called to the incident.

A police spokesman from Cray Valley West said no arrests have been made and they will be delivering leaflets to dog walkers this evening.