A KENDAL play park which was expected open in the summer has been delayed because of concerns the site could be contaminated as it was an old disposal ground.

But despite ongoing tests parents of children on the town's Rinkfield estate have been told that their existing park is still safe to use.

The Rinkfield Area Community Group along with South Lakeland District Council raised more than £80,000 for a new play area for local children.

Group leader Gary Tomlinson was told the park should have been opened now, but the latest delays mean it will not be opened until spring at the earliest.

"It's come at a bad time for me. We've (The Rinkfield Area Community Group) an annual general meeting soon and I've told them it's opening after the summer," said Mr Tomlinson. "There's kids asking me why it's not opened. It's just tied me in knots.

"I don't think it's going to happen one little bit. I think the money will go elsewhere. I've got to go to the agm and say it's not going to happen. I'd been promised it would be done this year, but what does promise even mean?

"In the meantime, the kids are playing in the park and we're being told it could be contaminated. I wouldn't want my kids playing on that.

"I think we've been led up the garden path with it all. Meanwhile, Oxenholme have had their park done."

A spokesman for SLDC said while the authority remained committed to delivering the park by next spring, more checks were still needed to be made on the land.

“A small risk has been identified that once the ground is broken for the installation of the new playground that the digging required could penetrate a ‘capping layer’ put in and may disturb traces of waste contaminates, such as old bits of glass, left buried deep in the soil," said the spokesman. “As such we are arranging for additional investigation works as a precaution.

“We appreciate the community has worked hard to secure the money to complete this project and will be frustrated by any delays, but we can reassure them that any additional costs associated with these further investigations will not impact on the finished park.’’