Youths slammed over 'reckless' arson attack on Wincobank nursery in Sheffield set to cost thousands to repair

Anna Sarginson, of Minibugs on Tyler Street, Wincobank, said youths broke through fencing before lighting a fire which damaged artificial grass and a bespoke wooden castle. A local resident raised the alarm and firefighters were swiftly on the scene. But the early hours attack has caused to £3,000 of damage and put the castle and part of the playground out of action.

Ms Sarginson said she wanted to raise awareness of the “senseless damage” and the impact it is having. She added: “Unfortunately we were subject to an arson attack on our outdoor learning space, with what was witnessed to be youths purposefully setting fire to our specially-built wooden outdoor play equipment.

“This has created significant damage and will cost our local business a lot of money to rectify at a time when we are struggling with all the financial pressures of the cost of living crisis. We have had to secure the play area until works are done to fix the damage. The current estimate is upto £3,000 due to the fire damage. Whilst this is upsetting for our company and team, we are hugely grateful to our lovely local community for raising the alert with the fire service and the immediate attendance of South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue.”

Minibugs has been part of the Wincobank community since 2017 and prides itself on high quality childcare, she added.

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