CHARITY bosses have hit out at council chiefs following the shock termination of the Poole Park Mini Railway contract.

Borough of Poole (BOP), citing safety as one of the main reasons why, ended its contract with the Friends of Poole Park (FoPP) charity a year after selecting them to run the popular attraction.

Trains have been out of action since May 18 after derailments and charity in-fighting which led to a walkout of volunteer staff.

Cllr John Rampton, BOP’s member for the environment and open spaces, has already said it is “unlikely” the attraction will be up and running in time for this year’s tourist season.

Now, in a statement released online, FoPP say they have “more than answered” questions over safety, by employing a company to replace sections of track, appointing a quality control consultant, and creating a professional operation manager’s post.

The Friends explained: “Regarding the safety of the track, when we completed our original tender we gave a timescale for track works that we’ve stuck to. I wonder what’s changed?

“The FoPP, together with our external funders, have highly accreditable plans in place that would have invested at least £3m into the park over the lifetime of the lease we were hoping to get.

“The council failed to provide a lease for over one year and it is now quite evident what a financial success the railway has been.

“The decision therefore, to remove us when we’ve already put in place plans to provide the highest level of auditable safety and training measures may not totally be a decision made with only safety in mind.”

FoPP goes onto say that Poole council has placed them into “real financial difficulty” after they had “already invested so much to turn around the railway and fulfil its remit to do its best to protect the future of Poole Park.”

After announcing the contract termination, Cllr Rampton said: “Poole Park Miniature Railway is a much-loved attraction and the council is committed to ensuring that this remains in Poole Park.

“The council is considering the option to run the service in-house which may continue to involve volunteers.

“The council has a strong record of working with volunteers and recognises the railway needs professional oversight, both operationally and financially.

“It is also a way of retaining income from the railway operation for the benefit of the park.”