It's hard to imagine what louts get out of picking on young children. Just like the thugs who terrorise the elderly, perhaps it's the bully's thrill of intimidating or hurting people who are weaker or more vulnerable than themselves.

This particular group of idiots can't even claim that they didn't know they would be upsetting young children when they smashed through fence panels to get into Hodgson Avenue Community Centre in Werrington.

They were well aware they were spoiling youngsters' fun when they wrecked a new £200 playhouse, which was recently bought for the centre out of special city council funding. No wonder the youngsters, aged between two and seven were upset. It must have been difficult for the adults to explain to them how this could happen.

The perpetrators should be ashamed of themselves. Sadly, we doubt that they are.

Wheely good way to meet public
GOOD on city councillors John Fox and Steve Lane for getting on their bikes to get closer to the Werrington people they represent.

It sounds like a good old-fashioned case of taking democracy to the people instead of expecting them to turn up at surgeries, and we like it.

Veteran councillor Charles Swift has done this all his political life, wheeling down the streets of Bluebell estate and New England for more than 50 years, and he has a strong relationship with residents as a result.