Kiddies Corner Cleveleys 'neglect' sparks concern

Rides have been damaged and stock stolen from the Kiddies Corner site, on North Promenade, which has been shut since October.

The owners said they have been left "heartbroken" by the problems and have vowed to tidy up the attraction, despite the coronavirus outbreak leaving them unable to reopen at all this year.

It comes after Wyre Council said it had issued a "formal warning" over the state of the site - something bosses say they have not received.

Susan Ives, who lives opposite the attraction said she felt it had not been looked after properly.

The 68-year-old added: "It's nice for children and families and it's been here for years, but it has been neglected and left in such a state.

"There is rubbish all over the place, and nobody cleans it up. The old pay hut is smashed, and one of them had been pushed over and left there recently.

"It's such an eyesore. What must visitors think when they look over the wall from the seafront and see it like that?"

The funfair, which first set up in Cleveleys in 1961 before being taken over by its current owners in 2018, has been a favourite of local families and visitors for decades.

But Susan believed it was time to either restore it to its former glory, or remove it.

The site has been closed throughout the pandemic, unable to open during the summer season.

Susan continued: "It was so lovely in the old days, but now someone needs to sort it out or get rid of it.

"We all have nostalgic memories of Kiddies Corner but it's just not the same as it used to be.

"We don't have the warm summers we did years ago anymore. The bad weather on the prom makes it look a mess and it doesn't get cleaned up."

A spokesman for Wyre Council said: "Our officers have been liaising with the site owner in order to tidy up the area at Kiddies Corner.

"We have subsequently issued a formal warning to the owner to ensure that the site is cleaned and maintained as per their lease terms, until the owner can reopen their business."

A spokesman for Kiddies Corner Cleveleys said: "We have not received any formal warnings from the council, but we will of course visit the site and maintain it.

"We have been closed since the end of last year's season in October 2019, and visited the site before Easter to set up for this season.

"Due to the coronavirus we were unable to reopen, and with the cost of rent and testing the rides to ensure they are safe, it is not financially viable for us to reopen for only two more months of trading during this season.

"We were heartbroken to learn that some of the rides had been damaged, as without fencing around the funfair we have had problems with vandalism since setting up. It's been so disheartening, we've had stock stolen from the Hook-a-Duck and locks on the children's rides were broken.

"The litter on site is cleaned up whenever we are made aware, but as we live 30 miles away it isn't easy for us to visit the site regularly. If we were informed about litter building up we would visit and clean it up.

"We are truly sorry that there has been so much litter and mess, but as we have not been trading since October the rubbish has come from nearby bins and blown onto our site in bad weather.

"Going forward, we plan to visit Kiddies Corner next week to begin the process of removing rides for maintenance and cleaning the site. The safety of the children who visit our site every year is paramount."