Splash park closure leaves families high and dry

The splash park in Victoria Park in Leamington Spa had only recently been refurbished

A new splash park in Leamington Spa, which had only been open for two weeks following refurbishment work, has been closed by the local council with "great sadness".

The paddling pool, at Victoria Park in the town centre, has been shut due to a "range of technical issues", Warwick District Council said.

It means families in Warwickshire and Coventry have been left with no public water play areas for children, with a new development in Warwick's St Nicholas Park yet to open, and a space in Coventry closed due to a mechanical failure.

A Warwick District Council spokesperson said it was "working hard with the contractors to fix the issues".

The splash park had reopened after revamp work in July.

It was previously earmarked for refurbishment as part of a council project, alongside the park in Warwick.

The council said it had been forced to close the site with "immediate effect", and officers "do not expect" the site to reopen for the rest of the school summer holidays.

Coventry City Council said the future of its splash park was yet to be decided

In Warwick, the council is facing ongoing challenges with the project due to the "more complex nature" of the work.

It is not yet known when the paddling pool will open.

A sign was also put on the gate surrounding a splash park in Coventry's War Memorial Park by the city council stating that the area would be permanently closed.

However the council said the attraction was only closed for the "foreseeable" and it was exploring options for its future, saying no decision had yet been taken.

Following the Leamington Spa closure, Warwick District Council said: "The council understands the disappointment that this will cause especially given the fine weather and is working hard with the contractors to fix the issues."