A DISGUSTED mother has demanded a neglected playground be cleaned and refurbished after her daughters found it covered in vomit and graffiti on New Year's Day.

Mum-of-two, Deborah Selner, was shocked by the state of the park in Christchurch Green, Wanstead, when she took Robyn, three, and Betsy, six, to play on the swings.

But it is not the first time the play area has hit the headlines. Parents have long campaigned for the park to be cleaned up and modernised and they met with their local councillor yesterday (Wednesday) to talk about its problems.

Ms Selner, of Spratt Hall Road, has joined forces with other users to call for the popular facility be regularly cleaned of graffiti, and for new play equipment be installed.

She said: "It was absolutely disgusting in the play area, and I don't think any child should have to walk around among piles of sick.

"Teenagers can't be stopped from drinking too much and being ill, but more could be done to deal with the graffiti and replace old equipment.

"There are also bits of broken glass embedded in the ground around some of the equipment, which children could cut themselves on.

"We have called on the council to do the playground up, and to install more equipment that younger, smaller children, can use more easily."

A rusting climbing frame was recently removed from the park by the council, after it was found to be unsafe.

Ms Seiner said: "This play area has not been done up for years, and you can see this from the fact they took out the igloo-shaped climbing frame, even though they had just spent money resurfacing underneath it."

Snaresbrook ward councillor Sue Nolan, who met with fellow councillors, residents and local police yesterday to discuss the issue, agreed it was time to modernise the facility.

She said: "The play area is well-used by children from all over Redbridge, and neighbouring boroughs, and it's essential that it's brought up to scratch.

"Local residents, ward councillors, the council, and the police, will work together to find a way of funding this much-needed revamp.

"We would ideally hope to get the first piece of new equipment in place by Spring this year."