'I don't get it' - horror as locals woken by blaze which ripped through children's play area

People living in a quiet area of Greater Manchester have woken up today to a scene of devastation at a local park.

It comes after a large blaze ripped through children's play equipment in the early hours of this morning (April 1). Some of the charred play area in Heywood's Bullough Moor park remains cordoned off while investigations into the fire are carried out.

The fire took hold at some time after midnight, with residents reporting seeing smoke in the air by around 12.30am. Emergency services and at least one fire engine responded to the incident, with videos from the scene showing the large fire lighting up the night sky over Rochdale.

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People living near the park in Heywood have said that it had been particularly busy over the Easter Bank Holiday, with scores of children playing in the park over the long weekend. On the morning of Easter Monday, the charred remains of the children's play equipment, including a slide and climbing wall, were cordoned off.

The cause of the fire is not yet known, with both Greater Manchester Fire Service and Greater Manchester Police having been approached for more information.

Video of the fire taken by a resident:

Resident Mikaela, who saw smoke out of her window about 30 minutes after midnight and went to investigate, told the Manchester Evening News: "A passer by told me they had seen a group of youths sat by the park as it was on fire but ran off just before the fire engine came."

The Heywood resident hoped that something good could be born out of the ashes of the ruined children's play equipment, she continued: "It wasn't much of a park to be honest but parents made use of what they had available. It