Safety experts have condemned a children's playground on an Oxford estate, forcing the city council to close the site.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents advised the authority to shut Bernwood Road play area, in North Way, Barton, because of fears about a slide collapsing.

It has since emerged that vandals were responsible for the damage, which was spotted during a RoSPA inspection.

Vandals had dug so far into a mound beneath the slide that inspectors feared it was in danger of caving in.

Bricks and concrete supporting the slide had also been removed, and specially designed soft landing tiles had been ripped up - damage RoSPA said posed a "significant safety concern".

The revelation comes as the Town Hall pursues a controversial policy of closing 16 of 97 play areas it runs because of a funding crisis.

An estimated £2.5m is needed over six years to bring all the play areas up to scratch, but many could close, because of a lack of money.

Bernwood Road is one of 16 selected for closure.

Alan Armitage, the council's executive member responsible for leisure and recreation, said playgrounds in Oxford had suffered many years of under-investment.

He added: "I don't think safety to the public was ever placed at risk - but it's very difficult to satisfy more and more safety demands.

"It would not be the best use of council taxpayers' money to keep all 97 playgrounds open.

"Most play areas are effectively closed already, because they have not been maintained."

At last month's annual budget-setting meeting, no single political group pledged anywhere near the amount of money required to bring every play area up to standard.

Vandalism at Bernwood has meant North Way teenager Liam Keys and his friends will have to use recreation grounds at Waynflete Road or Fettiplace Road instead.

Liam, 14, said he only found out what was going on when he saw workmen removing the play equipment.

He said: "Children are getting very upset because they (the city council) are taking it away - and we have only just found out."

Bernwood will stay closed indefinitely and certainly until the council publishes the consultation findings on its controversial play area strategy - which detailed the sites selected for closure - at the end of the month.

Parks manager John Wade said: "We invited RoSPA to carry out an inspection in Bernwood play area. Unfortunately, they found the play area was unsafe and should be closed.

"We closed the area immediately and erected signs to inform the public. No-one was in any danger by using the play equipment prior to it closing."

Peter Cornall, RoSPA's head of leisure safety, said: "At this playground we found considerable safety concerns.

"If the slide had collapsed there could have been a very serious accident. Play facilities need to be as safe as necessary - not as safe as possible."