A refurbished playground has been shut for five months because of problems with the surface.

Since August, children in Abingdon have been unable to use the new swings, climbing frame and rocker in the playground off Chaunterell Way.

Abingdon Town Council, which paid more than £16,000 for the new equipment, has blamed the weather.

Steve Rich, the council’s project manager, said: “We have had a programme of refurbishing all of the playgrounds over the past five years and Chaunterell Way was the last to be done.

“It has flooded several times, which has raised all of the flooring there and it became dangerous. We had to take the panels out and we had to rethink what we could put in its place.

“We were advised to put grass down but we had such bad weather while it was being done that the ground became very boggy and we have to wait for it to be done.”

Mr Rich said he hoped that the surface could be repaired in the spring, when the ground dries out.

In the meantime, a padlock has been placed on the playground’s gate and the swings have been removed in preparation for the resurfacing work.

County councillor Mike Badcock, who represents south Abingdon, said: “It’s a totally unusable play area.”

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