BOGUS workmen posing in fluorescent jackets have chopped up and stolen a slide from a playground. The incident happened on Monday February 13 but nobody realised what had happened for several days thinking the men had been genuinely working on the slide. The men were seen going onto the fields in the yellow jackets, then using a saw to cut through the chute of the slide. They then cut it up into pieces and loaded it into the back of a silver Ford Mondeo. Coun Dorothy Higgingbottom believes the slide was stolen for its value as scrap metal. She said: It’s absolutely disgusting. I can’t find enough words to say what I think of these people. There’s nothing people won’t steal now. “I work hard to try to bring things in to Great Houghton for children and everyone else to enjoy, and then these idiots come and destroy it.” There have been two other thefts of metal objects recently. Plaques fixed to the “welcome to...” boundary markers were taken from Little Houghton and Great Houghton. If anyone is suspicious about people carrying out any work in the area they can call the Clerk to the Parish Council on 248486 to confirm whether work is scheduled. Last week two men posing as council officials demanded money from an elderly Darfield resident to repair the roof.