Furious parents have blasted the council for ripping out a popular playpark in Irvine.

The Council agreed to the reduction in playparks as part of cost cutting measures two years ago, but have only now began to physically remove them, with Sloane Avenue the first targetted in the town.

One angry parent said it was a ‘shambles’.

To make a saving of £50,000, the council is removing 22 play parks in North Ayrshire, with six parks in Irvine to be removed and one in Kilwinning.

These include Clark Drive, Towerlands Centre and Perceton Row.

The decision was taken over two years ago when the council agreed on its budget.

The council say Sloan Avenue park was picked as it was regularly subject to vandalism and anti social behaviour.

Resident Shirley Mess told the Irvine Times: “I had absolutely no idea that they were taking it away.

“I’ve got two kids and I’m also a child minder and that park’s our stop off point on way home from school most days.

“If there had been more notice given I could have prepared the kids but no. They came home from school saying ‘where has the park gone?'

“It’s just an absolute shambles the way that they’ve done it.

“It’s shocking, it’s our kids playparks they’re taking away to save £50,000 a year!

“They’re all for promoting outdoor play and a healthier lifestyle, but all they’re doing is encouraging them to sit in the house on their flaming Playstations and Xboxes, they go to the park to play with their pals to kick a ball about, but now they’ll just sit on their gadgets in the house.

“They just contradict themselves, on the one hand its all about keeping our children healthy and active, then they take away their playparks.”

“They’re adamant there was public consultations and everything, but if there has been surely we’d have heard about it from somebody.

“The council seemed more pleased with themselves that it’s not 46 parks but 24, regardless of how many it is it’s still children’s play parks they’re taking away.

On the claims of vandalism, Shirley said: ”That’s a lot of rubbish. I’m a child minder I have got to risk access everything that kids do, and if I felt it was vandalised in any way I wouldn’t let them use it.”

A North Ayrshire Council spokesperson said: “We provide 84 excellent play parks at locations which are well used.

“In closing a small number of play parks, which were either less well used or subject to anti-social behaviour or vandalism, this has allowed us to invest in a number of the remaining 84 play parks to further improve and enhance the equipment provided.

“The play area was removed from Sloan Avenue as it was regularly targeted by vandals and suffered anti-social behaviour.

“The nearby Berry Drive play park is a short walk away and is being improved with the addition of some new equipment, while the play park at Thornhouse Avenue is even closer.

“Of the 84 play parks in North Ayrshire, 23 are located within the Irvine Locality.”