£400k kids park officially opens

A thrilling new fun zone for children has been officially opened by Erewash Borough Council’s young deputy mayor – who wore his chain of office as he insisted on sliding down its giant corkscrew tube.

Councillor Harry Atkinson jokingly added a twist as he was invited to cut the ribbon in Long Eaton – saying: “As long as I can have a go.”

He clambered up the nine-metre tower to test the slide as he was cheered on by children from the local Grange Primary School, who attended the opening ceremony in the town’s West Park.

Harry – who became the borough’s youngest-ever deputy mayor when he was appointed at the age of 24 – said after sliding down the snaking tube: “It was great fun.”

The £400,000 play mecca has taken six months to build – after the council clinched Shared Prosperity Fund money from the government.

The authority came up with two competing designs for the attraction – and local people got to vote for their favourite.

Toddlers can enjoy a separate section featuring a rocking boat while juniors explore bridges and a zipwire.

The deputy mayor said: “We’ve got something absolutely amazing.” Cllr Josy Hare, who is the council’s Lead Member for Health and Wellbeing, said: "We are also about to officially open a new £450,000 all-weather sports pitch in Ilkeston. It brings the amount that the borough is investing in sport and leisure to more than £4million. The vast majority of this is from government and other funding – meaning it is not from council tax.”