The children's train was torched by yobs on Sunday night in the third blaze at the Northampton park since 2003.

It came less than five months after nursery owner Tom Shea donated the £10,000 train to the park to replace the one which was burned down in April.

Surveying the charred remains of the train yesterday, he said: "The children are devastated. They were all so pleased when it came back, so to see it go again is terrible.

"It seems some people just seem to get their kicks out of doing this sort of thing, which is terribly sad."

One of the main campaigners for improvements to the park, the owner of the Abington Park Cafe, Tony Ansell, led calls for the last train to be replaced, but he said he now believed it should not be brought back.

He said: "What can you say? There really should have been CCTV down there.

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"The fact there wasn't made it inevitable this was going to happen.

"So I don't think they should replace it this time. It's just asking for trouble."

The county councillor for the area, Councillor Maureen Hill (Con, Weston) added: "I was just dismayed when I heard about it.

"For this to happen so soon after it was last set on fire is terrible.

"I can understand people saying it shouldn't be brought back, but that would just be giving in to the vandalism."

Northampton Borough Council has said it has not yet decided if the train will be replaced.

But the council's cabinet member for the environment, Councillor Trini Crake (Lib Dem, Boughton Green), said something would be done.

She said: "We will not be beaten by these mindless vandals so, rest assured, something will go in its place."

Officers from Northamptonshire Police have asked anyone who knows how the fire broke out to call them on 08453 700700.