A FORMER skateboarder has attacked litterbugs at a £228,000 skatepark after finding it was strewn with litter.

The middle-aged man sent us several photos of “disgusting” rubbish at the Northfields skatepark in Cwmbran unveiled in February.

Torfaen council and Gwent Police said the facility off Llanfrechfa Way had become popular but the reader said the place had "started to look like a rubbish tip".

He said: “I'm not a disgruntled middle-aged man who enjoys complaining about the ‘kids of today’.

“I'm an ex-skateboarder myself. Many of my friends are from the 'skateboarding community'.

“We were the misfits of our time. But we always had respect for others.

“I went there to walk the dog with my wife and was greeted with a shocking sight.

“Despite the council placing four bins at each corner of the park, the area is a disgrace.

“These hooligans – they're not skateboarders – have treated the park, and their community, with such disrespect that I don't feel they deserve to use it.”

The unanimous reader also claimed to have seen skateboarders drink alcohol, smoke cannabis and use foul language in front of passers-by.

Gwent Police said they had received four calls regarding anti-social behaviour at the skatepark since April.

Torfaen Sergeant Ian Green said: “The skatepark is very well used and a popular local attraction.

“The youth service attend each week to offer diversionary activities to prevent anti-social behaviour and the park continues to be a ward focus as it gives our officers the engagement opportunity to talk to local teenagers.

“Officers will often patrol to see if there is evidence of drug misuse on each visit, to date, no paraphernalia has been found.

“Local intelligence does not point to this being an issue.

“There has been incidents within the park relating to drug rumours but no offences have been recorded.”

Torfaen council said the skatepark, which replaced another facility near the Cwmbran Boating Lake, had cost £228,000 to build.

A council spokesman said: “The new skatepark in Cwmbran is already well used and well appreciated by many in the local community, and we have had a huge amount of positive feedback since it started being used in February.

“The new site in Northfields was considered to be a more appropriate environment for the park than the previous location within the children’s play area at the Boating Lake.

“We have eight bins in the immediate vicinity of the park which are emptied daily - unfortunately some users choose not to use the bins provided, or clear up after themselves.

“We would appeal to all users of the park to dispose of their rubbish properly, and consider other members of the public who also wish to enjoy the area.”

Anyone witnessing anti-social behaviour or criminality at the skatepark is urged to call 999 in an emergency or 101.