THE recent closure of a popular children's splash park in Christchurch has been partly blamed on the build-up of litter.

Emergency repairs to the pump and electrical system had to be carried out at The Quomps Splash Park in Wick Lane near Christchurch Quay yesterday morning.

The splash park had to be closed over the weekend after Christchurch Borough Council said the facility had suffered “yet another blockage.”

On the official Facebook page for Christchurch Quay and Splash Park, the council said the blockage had caused both of the submersible pumps to burn out.

The closure came during one of the hottest weekends of the year when hundreds of families will have been attending annual musical event Stompin on the Quomps which was held at Christchurch Quay on Saturday.

A number of parents took to the page on Facebook to speak of their disappointment at the closure.

The splash park was temporarily closed again on Monday and Tuesday morning while engineers visited the site to assess the problem.

It reopened on Tuesday afternoon, however the council said it may need to close again in the future for further repairs to be carried out.

Yesterday, Matt Reeks, community and open spaces manager at Christchurch and East Dorset Councils, said: “Following emergency repairs to the pump and electrical system, we have reopened the splash park at Christchurch Quay. We will continue to monitor the situation on a daily basis, but it is possible we may have to close for a short time in the near future."

“We thank everyone for their patience during the closure and we appreciate the continued support of splash park users. Some of the issues were a result of a build-up of litter in the pump system, so we kindly that parents and guardians use the area responsibly by ensuring it stays a food-free zone, litter is placed in bins provided and swim nappies are worn."

Some of the safety surfacing has also been damaged. It is not known how this occurred but Christchurch council said a temporary repair is currently in place and further repair work will take place in "due course".

Cllr Peter Hall, who represents the town centre ward on Christchurch Borough Council, said new larger seagull proof bins had been installed on the Quay earlier this year and it was "disappointing" to hear people weren't using the facilities.

He said: "There's no reason whatsoever for people not to use the bins provided and cause the pumps to block."

The enclosed splash park features a shallow paddling pool, water jets and sprays, a water play pump, channels and sluices.

It opened in 2010 after years of campaigning by a group of dedicated volunteers.