SKATEPARK and BMX facilities could be driven off course because Fair Oak and Horton Heath Parish Council is having to spend thousand of pounds on beating the vandals.

Parish councillors have given the go ahead for up to £12,000 to go on installing CCTV cameras in a bid to crackdown on vandalism which has plagued the village's showpiece New Century Park.

The park has become a regular target for mindless wreckers who have left a trail of destruction. Some of the vandalism has included setting fire and taking a pickaxe to new seats and fencing.

Dog excrement has also been smeared across play equipment by the killjoy vandals.

Now the village authority is stepping up its security measures in an all out bid to crackdown on the wrecking spree which has raged across the village.

The parish council's vice chairman Councillor Roger Smith said they were getting estimates for the underground wiring work.

If the scheme is given planning permission three cameras will be mounted on a pole by the children's play area next to the village hall in Shorts Road. Mr Smith said they hoped to get the CCTV system up and running as soon as possible to stem the tide of rising vandalism. Parish council chiefs are angry that it is the minority whose ant-social behaviour is destroying plans for future facilities.

He said that the money for the security cameras would be coming from the council's reserves. But he warned: "The facilities we want to provide may be excluded because of the cost of vandalism."

It might put a question mark over provision of a skatepark and BMX facilities for village youngsters.

Mr Smith added: "It is a great disappointment that the vandals are cheating these youngsters out of these facilities."

Meanwhile the parish council is hoping that they will have similar success to Eastleigh town centre where CCTV cameras have led to a dramatic cut in vandalism.

Over the last few years about £25,000 - much it provided through grants - has been spent on New Century Park. But the parish council's good work in upgrading the recreation ground for everyone's benefit has been destroyed by yobs intent on destruction.