SUMMER splashing fun is back on for Bexley families as the council announces splash parks in the borough will open.

At the beginning of May, Bexley Council announced that fun water playgrounds in Belvedere and Danson Park would remain closed because of the drought.

But the council said it was “mis-informed” by Thames Water that a Temporary Use Ban made it illegal to use the facility and that they can be opened, with Danson Park expecting to be open tomorrow (May 31) and Belvedere by June 8.

The council’s cabinet member for Leisure, Councillor Don Massey said: “I am delighted that we have now been told that we can open the splash parks. There have been many disappointed residents in recent weeks unable to enjoy the excellent facilities available to them for free.”

He said he was grateful for the “tenacity” of council officers.

Cllr Massey said: “I am grateful for the tenacity of officers who have pressed Thames Water on this issue. This now means that our younger residents can enjoy fun in the water, especially given that many of them will not have paddling pools this year because they are unable to fill them with hose pipes, due to the ban."

Mum-of-two Clare Smith, 36, of Stanmore Road in Belvedere, who told News Shopper earlier this month that it was a shame the parks would be closed, said: “It is fantastic. It means I might be able to have a birthday party for my son Oliver there now as we had planned.

“A lot of my friends with children will be over the moon. It created a lot of uproar – a lot of people thought it should be open. It will change a lot of people’s summer this year.”

The fountains at Crayford Waterside Gardens will remain turned off during the ban as they are classed as a water feature and are therefore not permitted.