DOZENS of families have demanded refunds after visiting a 'disappointing' synthetic ice rink.

Those who went along to the ice rink in Cantley Park, Wokingham on Friday, November 12, said the ice was not 'slippy enough' and there were 'no refreshments on offer'.

Wokingham Borough Council - who are working with Chippa Events - said there are teething problems they are still trying to sort out.

Bosses also say the synthetic ice rink should have been made clearer to residents from the start.

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Gill Purchase has demanded a full refund after realising the ice rink wasn't made with real ice.

She said: "I would like a full £12 refund please, swimming and soft play are not applicable to me.

"I brought a ticket on this basis for my daughter (experienced ice skater) and she has been badly let down."

Julia Spence echoed this and said: "There is no music, barely any lights, no hut open to offer refreshment, still next week and you have only agreed about the toilets being open til 8pm.

"This is an absolute shambles. Why could all these things have been put into place before opening and explaining that it is not an ice rink as such? But a synthetic one. If WBC doesn't sort these issues out there sadly could be the first and only time we will have anything like this again."

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Adult ice rink tickets cost £12, a child ticket costs £7.50 and a family of four ticket costs £30 (for families of four or more, it will be £5 per extra child).

More than 100 people complained on Wokingham Borough Council's Facebook page with staff having to delete comments from residents which were 'abusive to staff'.

The council issued this statement on Facebook: "We would like to apologise for any confusion with regards to the synthetic ice skating rink at Cantley Park.

"This is the first time we have run this event, and inevitably there are teething problems, so we would like to let our residents know we are addressing all issues raised to make this a better experience for everyone.

"We had originally stated in a press release and responded to residents’ questions that the rink was synthetic, however, we realise that this should have been made clearer and moving forward, we will be communicating this.

"Our photographer has taken official photographs of Friday’s launch which we will now be using in all our communications.

"The synthetic rink is an eco-friendly and energy-efficient alternative to a traditional ice rink, using a fraction of the energy. It is safe to use and there are polar bear skate aids available. For those who mentioned that the rink was not slippery enough, we are working with our partner, Chippa Events, to make the surface more slippery but to remain safe to use.

"From today, the toilets will be open at Cantley Park Café until 8pm and will stay open until this time for the duration of the event. Adjacent to the rink, the Café Market hut will be open this week with the opening times displayed on a sign each day, so do pop over for a warm drink or light snack.

"We have spoken to Chippa Events and Christmas Carol music will be played at the venue."

"We would like to make this right for residents who are dissatisfied with the synthetic ice skating experience by offering a free soft play session at Loddon Valley or a free swimming session at Bulmershe Leisure Centre or Loddon Valley Leisure Centre, for each ticket purchased."