A CHILDREN’S play area in Bradford on Avon has re-opened four days after it was suddenly closed.

Children were stopped from using the play area at Barton Farm Country Park, off Pound Lane, last week because it was deemed unsafe.

Originally, Wiltshire Council said the play area would remain closed for up to two weeks while they sourced some bark.

They said the area underneath the main climbing frame was too risky if youngsters fell from play equipment onto the ground.

But four days later – on Thursday, August 3 – they delivered a lorry-load of special bark and the play area was re-opened.

Cllr Alex Kay, chair of Bradford on Avon’s planning and environment committee, said: The play area was re-opened on Thursday morning.

“It was a joy to see a bunch of smiling Wiltshire Council workers finishing the bark-spreading and allowing children in to play in the sunshine.

"As it turned out the closure was very short.”

A Wiltshire Council spokesperson said: “We are sorry for anyone inconvenienced by the short closure of the play area while we replaced the bark to make it safe for anyone using it.

“The playground-compliant bark was ordered and put in place as quickly as possible, which meant the park was re-opened on Thursday.”

Bradford on Avon Town Council had earlier criticised the poor timing of the decision two weeks into the six-week summer holiday.

In June, town councillors had offered to pay 50% towards the cost of buying the bark in order to prevent its closure during the school holidays.

Parents took to social media to complain about the closure and councillors contacted the county council to get it re-opened quickly.