Residents of a north Dublin neighbourhood are furious after vandals set fire to a park bench.
Footage taken by Dublin Live shows the burnt-out remains of the bench following a fire in Johnstown Park in Finglas on Tuesday night.
A neighbour told Dublin Live: "I really think it's despicable. For God's sake, it's just insane.
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"Why do people do that? It's just destruction.
"I come to the park every day. I live just across the park.
She added: "The playground had only been put up there recently and a lot of people have been benefitting from it. It's very sad."
This isn't the only recent incident of benches being set on fire in Dublin.
Four benches and a number of high-tech bins were burnt out in Herbert Park in Ballsbridge are estimated to cost €2,000 each to repair back in March.
And the BigBelly bins are worth around €3,000 each.
It is understood the benches and bins are being burnt with petrol, or some other solvent, and bags of paper.
Labour Councillor Dermot Lacey told Dublin Live the culprit should pay for the damage done to Herbert Park, which could cost as much as €14,000.
He said: "It is mind-blowingly frustrating because we have invested huge money in Herbert Park over the last 10 years or so - the new cafe, the new tennis courts, drained football pitches, Astroturf pitches, new footpaths and landscaping.
"An enormous amount of money has been spent and then people come along and do this sort of stuff. They also damaged the mural done by Ballsbridge Tidy Towns group.
He added: "It is fairly disgraceful. It is just people damaging their own community. Why people would do it, I just don't understand."
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