Families 'frustrated' as splash park closes again

This is the second time the park has been closed in two months

Families have been left frustrated after a £475,000 splash park was forced to close for the second time this summer.

Coate Water splash park in Swindon was closed on Friday to repair sections of the flooring which had lifted, creating a trip hazard for children.

The facility - which has been open for less than a year - was also closed in June for emergency repairs, but officials hope the current work being carried out will mean it remains open for the rest of the summer holidays.

Swindon Borough Council's Marina Strinkovky said: "It's so frustrating and disappointing and I'm so empathetic towards parents who are having this disappointment when they're coming to the park."

In a statement shared to Facebook, the council said it had taken the "difficult decision" to temporarily close the water park "for a short period", with the intention that the facility would remain open throughout the rest of the summer.

The park has seen repeated issues with the flexible floor tiles lifting. In June, the tiles became loose when the concrete underneath failed and needed to be re-secured.

Rosie Tugwell said she had noticed a small issue with one of the tiles during a previous visit

Mum Rosie Tugwell told BBC Radio Wiltshire she had noticed a tile lifting at the park during her last visit.

"It is a real shame, but hopefully it will be open soon," she added, praising the otherwise "lovely" facility.

Ms Strinkovsky said "leading national contractors" were at the park working to inspect "absolutely every tile to make sure they are all safe".

She also explained that contractors would be back on site at the end of the season in October to carry out a "thorough investigation" to find out what had gone wrong with the installation of the park.