Dirty nappies are being dumped on children’s play areas after wheelie bins are broken into and the contents tipped out.

And in an unusual twist, CCTV footage of an unknown person at the scene of one break-in has emerged showing someone armed with a bag transferring nappies between bags and taking them away.

Since Christmas there have been four incidents of nappies being dumped on the children’s play park on Ryelands.

Two bin break-ins were reported on Ryelands and at Total Tots Westgate on the same night.

Workers at Little Nippers nursery on Ryelands, Lancashire, were alerted to the latest break-in by parents who found mounds of dirty nappies on the playground.

Brian Foxton, administrative assistant at Little Nippers Nursery said: “The nappies are in a locked bin and they have been breaking into the locked bin after climbing over a 10 foot wall.

“They then take them round the back of the children’s centre and onto the play area.

“There are at least 20 large nappy bags in the bin after a day’s use. They have ripped open the nappy sacks and thrown them all over the play park. The latest incident was reported to a member of staff and we thought ‘we can’t just leave it’.

“I can’t get my head round why someone would do something like that.

“We have rung the police and told them and they said they would try and put extra patrols on.

“I’m disgusted by it, I can’t believe someone would do this.

“Someone has also gone to the toilet inside the bin store.

“A private company come and empty the bins every two weeks but we might have to change it to every week.

“We are doing all we can do to prevent it happening again. We go out and clean it up as soon as it is reported to us.

“It’s disgusting really, beyond belief. There have been three incidents in January but this is the first time it has happened in February.

“It says on the bin ‘clinical waste’ so maybe they are looking in there for needles, I don’t know.

“One mum who left her pram outside while she was in the nursery came out to find her pram had been stolen. There have also been shards of glass put in the sandpit in the play area. We used to have to search the play area before we took the children on it and in the end we gave up.”

Melissa Marsden of Total Tots Westgate, said: “This has been going on for two months. Two weeks ago we had to get the police out because we put a big lock on the nappy bin and someone brought tools to break into the bin. They then left the nappy bags strewn all over the garden. I don’t understand why. The bin is locked away now. We have CCTV of a person with a bag on the scene.”

A spokesman for Lancashire Police said: “On January 28, Lune Park Children’s centre reported that wheelie bins had been taken and moved into a nearby park and tipped out.

“The bin which is for soiled nappies had had the lock forced.

“Between 6pm and 7am the following day, someone entered the grounds of Westgate Primary School and got into the nursery area. They removed a padlock on a wheelie bin and emptied the contents all over the ground. The school has CCTV of what appears to be a person transferring rubbish between bags.

“Enquiries are ongoing into both these incidents.”

Call police on 101.

Coun David Smith, Cabinet member with responsibility for environmental services, said: “So many fantastic things have happened since 2012 when the masterplan for Ryelands Park was developed.

“The project continues to give the local community a great opportunity to join others in taking pride in their local park and my thanks go to all the individuals, groups and funders who have had a part to play in what has been achieved in Ryelands Park so far.

“Unfortunately there continue to be others whose idea of a great day out in the park, means quite the opposite and who enjoy ruining things for everyone else with mindless acts of vandalism and fly tipping such as the latest incident of scattering the contents of a used nappy bin all over the new play area.

“Once again, we would urge local residents to continue to be our eyes and ears and contact us with any information which will help us catch those responsible so we can take appropriate action.”