IT was supposed to be somewhere parents could leave their children during the holidays, reassured they would be well looked after.

But now a councillor is demanding to know how a Bournemouth council-run play scheme was ever allowed to operate in the wake of an Ofsted report which identified worrying safety concerns.

It was in mid August that Boscombe Chine Boredom Busters suddenly closed after inspectors identified a raft of problems with basic standards and procedures.

Cllr Lisa Northover, ward councillor for Boscombe West, whose children attended the scheme, said she was “appalled” by Ofsted’s findings.

She said: “The main thing I am concerned about is why the council was letting it operate at all.”

The council has now announced it is to temporarily suspend the autumn Boredom Busters sessions across the borough in the light of the report.

In their report the Ofsted inspectors said: “Overall the quality of the provision is inadequate. A lack of staff supervision, inadequate security and poor organisation overall means children’s safety is not protected”.

They also cited failings in the organisation and deployment of staff, which they said left youngsters free to roam unsupervised around a public park.

“At times there are insufficient numbers of staff to ensure children are adequately supervised. Children are able to wander from one area to another within the public park without being closely monitored by staff,” the report stated.

One toilet and wash hand basin had to be shared by up to 50 children, meaning that routines to promote children’s health and reduce the spread of infection were not being encouraged.

They also observed that due to changes in the staff team “some are unfamiliar with the emergency evacuation procedures or which staff are qualified in first aid”.

The daily register “does not record times of children’s attendance” and written permission from parents for seeking emergency medical attention and advice had not been obtained for all youngsters.

Staff were “not always aware of children’s medical, cultural or dietary needs”.

It was not the first time Bordeom Busters was under fire last summer. One mum made an official complaint after staff failed to realise that her daughter had broken her arm. The seven-year-old was at a morning session of the play scheme in Muscliff Park when she fell over on grass during a game. And the previous month, a six-year-old girl was treated at Poole Hospital after allegedly slipping into the pool at Stourfield Junior School in Southbourne during the Stourfield Boredom Busters scheme. Swimming was cancelled following the incident.

Cllr Northover said: “The council must have known it didn’t meet basic requirements but still carried on.

“I think it’s very sad that it’s taken Ofsted to come along and point out it wasn’t safe for our children.”

Cllr Chris Wakefield, chairman of the Friends of Boscombe Chine Gardens, which put up the lion’s share of funding for the scheme, said he was “disappointed” by the report’s findings.

“Bournemouth council has failed to come up to the standards that are required for a play scheme of that ilk.

“I was not aware of the detail of the report.

“As far as I’m concerned it was a very well attended play scheme. I would hope they would organise it as such for next year so it meets all the requirements for Ofsted.”