Mum's warning for community after 'scary' park incident

Leticea Kellett had been on a bike ride with her young son on Wednesday night when they rode up to the playground area.

The pair saw a young distressed girl, aged about 10.

"I rode over and realised her friends were trying to remove a rope that she had rode into without noticing it was there," Ms Kellett said.

At one entrance to the Lucas Central Park playground, the rope had been tied from one side of the walkway bridge across to the other - posing a serious hazard.

Ms Kellett isn't sure who could have tied the rope there.

While she said it was a "lovely community", she said the rope incident was "quite scary" as a parent.

She posted about the incident on social media and wants to warn other parents with children in the area, so no child is seriously injured.

"I wouldn't want it to happen to my son," she said.

Ms Kellett said it wasn't the first incident to happen at the park - there have also been reports of graffiti on the equipment and of vandalism.

While the community playground and park was constructed by Integra, it is now managed by the City of Ballarat.

Matt McCabe, General Manager of Integra, said it would be "disappointing" if the rope had been placed there deliberately.

"If it was then it would be really disappointing. We, like everybody else in the community in Lucas and otherwise, would be pretty disappointed and concerned about that," he said, adding that despite the incident, there were so many other "fantastic things" happening at the park.

A council spokesperson said it worked closely with communities to encourage safe and respectful behaviour at all play spaces.

Council officers will inspect the playground, while the community is encouraged to report any damage or graffiti to council on 53205500 so they can be addressed.

Ballarat police added they would patrol the park more often.