Spates of vandalism in a city park has forced a local council to close its public toilets early.

Sinks and toilets have been deliberately blocked in Sprowston Recreation Ground, with taps also being damaged and toilet roll dispensers pulled off the wall and broken. 

In a bid to tackle the anti-social behaviour, the town council has brought the closing times of the public facilities forward to 6pm.

"A number of measures, including additional visits to the area by the police and Sprowston Youth Engagement Project, have been put in place to address the vandalism," said a spokesman for the council. 

"Since then, incidents of vandalism have greatly decreased, but we will continue to monitor the situation."

The news comes after a spate of inter-gang feuds at the Recreation Ground in 2022. 

Plain-clothed officers were asked to monitor the green space after competing groups of young people had been travelling there for brawls.

A Norfolk Police spokesman said last year: "Tackling anti-social behaviour in the area is a local priority and officers have altered shift patterns and have been carrying out both plain clothes and high visibility patrols in the area around the recreation ground."