They bring joy to a lot of children who visit the beach, but one of Papamoa's popular beach toy libraries has been burnt to the ground.

Papamoa resident Matt James discovered the Pacific View Rd beach library had been torn down and used in a bonfire a couple of weeks ago.

'The guys just ripped it down. Toys were scattered everywhere, along with beer cans and bottles. I just feel for the poor kids who got enjoyment out of the library.”

The beach toy libraries are wooden storage cupboards located near the dunes, holding a variety of children's beach toys anyone can use. They're entirely a community initiative, which makes it all the worse when people vandalise or destroy them, says Matt.

'I bumped into a grandmother who was really upset. She said she came specifically to that part of the beach for the library, only to find it was burnt down.”

He thinks the libraries are a great idea, but they need to be managed responsibly in order not to impact the environment – that means not making a mess, either through vandalism or simply leaving toys strewn about.

'If there was a king tide or big storm, many of the toys would get washed into the ocean. I think the beach library is a fantastic initiative, but if a new library is built, it should be in a suitable location – the other beach libraries are much further from the high tide mark.

'It's a great way to bond with young kids, but parents also need to be responsible and bring the toys back.”