CHILDREN and families have been “left in tears” after council bosses dismantled a much-loved play park.

Residents close to the Storey Square park in Dalton returned home to find the playing equipment had been taken away, as part of budget cuts decided by Barrow Council two years ago. 

A groundswell of support from residents and other backers has built up since the park was taken apart on Thursday, with more 600 people joining a Facebook group to “bring back” the park in the 24 hours since it was launched. 

The play equipment in the park - a set of swings and a climbing frame - has been taken away, with council cuts meaning money is too tight to maintain and insure it. 

Parents have rallied to re-instate the park and are due to discuss ways to fund saving it over the next few weeks.

Jenny Laverty, whose garden backs on to the park and started the Facebook page, said she had been “overwhelmed” by the online support.

She said: “We have seen so many people get behind this in such a short amount of time and that is because this park is so important to all the families that live round here.”

Miss Laverty, 38, said her six-year-old son was devastated to find the park gone.

She said: “He was saying to me ‘where’s the park, where’s the park’. He was so disappointed to hear it.

“It has been a great space for him and all the children who live nearby. It is somewhere they can go and play away from the road and we can watch them easily.”

Councillor Shaun Blezard, who represents Dalton South on Barrow Council, said the park had to go because the town hall could not afford its upkeep amid cuts to its budget.

He said: “The amount of money we are receiving from central government has decreased and we are forced to make cutbacks.

“Unfortunately there is no money and several parks have been lost funding because of this.”

Cllr Blezard has, though, backed a campaign to bring back the park equipment and said he would hold meetings with residents to discuss how best to go about raising money to do this.

He said: “This is clearly an important issue for people and I want to hold meetings to discuss further how we can go about securing funding.”

Jayne Backhouse walks her dog in the park and said she saw children in tears after the equipment was taken away.

“It was awful. Lots of them were crying,” she said.

Simon Brock, whose Lord Street house backs onto the park, saw workers removing the swings.

He said: “When I told my six-year-old son he was very upset.

“The park is very important to our family.”

Cllr Dave Pidduck, the leader of Barrow Council, said withdrawing funding was a sad decision councillors had to make.

He said: “The decisions was made two years ago when we looked at the council budget.

"We thought very carefully about which parks were used more than others and came to a decision to close certain parks after a lot of careful thought and consideration. 

"I would love to fund every play park in the borough but sadly the money is not there to do so.”