PARENTS have been told to take responsibility for their children after a group of teenage vandals destroyed the roof of a war memorial shelter.

Officers believe a large group of youngsters were involved in smashing the roof and part of the brick walls of the shelter in Memorial Park, Great Harwood, last Friday.

It is thought teenagers from the town, Rishton, Clayton-le-Moors and Altham gathered in the park before carrying out the attack.

Police Community Support Officer Kath Stretton said: "We are extremely disheartened by this mindless vandalism.

"We believe alcohol is a factor and we are very disappointed that in many cases, this alcohol is being provided by adults and this is not acceptable."

She added: "We strongly urge parents to take responsibility and be aware of where their children are, who they are with and what they are doing, particularly on Friday and Saturday nights.

"Police will deal robustly with any instances of disorder, nuisance, damage or under-age drinking. Our inquiries continue to find out who was responsible for this despicable offence."

Police have been backed by local community group Friends of Memorial Park Chair Ian Wilkinson said: "Once again, it is sad to witness the results of antisocial behaviour within the park. These social issues extend far beyond our parks and open spaces and affect all communities and residents.

"Such events should be the catalyst for society to react, by debating and more importantly acting on issues such as the sale of alcohol to minors, the misuse of controlled drugs and the responsibilities associated with parental control."

He added: " We hope the memorial shelter will be soon restored and that by working together we can create an improved environment for all us to live in."

Anyone with information about who was responsible should contact police on 0845 1 25 35 45 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.