After spending a year desperately trying to save a popular playpark from closure, a campaigning mum could be hit with a three-figure invoice.
Fi Penman has been involved in a prolonged battle with Perth and Kinross Council to retain the popular attraction at Matthews Drive in Perth.
It was due to be scrapped in 2012 as part of a money-saving exercise by the local authority, but was given a stay of execution after the mother-of-two launched a bid for the community to take over ownership.
She has now been left reeling after returning from holiday to find the play equipment has been torn out by workmen.
The council also sent Ms Penman an email stating that she could be responsible for a £600 maintenance bill.
She told The Courier: “They are trying to charge us for something we didn’t have any responsibility for.
“We were not allowed to sign a lease until public liability insurance was in place and I was still looking into that up until the equipment was taken away.
“As we never put pen to paper, it would be interesting to see how they could enforce that.”
Ms Penman, 30, blamed Perth and Kinross Council for her struggle to get the park insured, claiming the local authority had failed to maintain it properly for years.
As a result, some of the equipment was deemed “high risk” and needed to be replaced before any policy could be agreed.
“I have got maintenance records from the council going back four years that mention the urgent repairs, but they were constantly carried forward,” she said.
“That in itself caused the problem which prevented us getting insurance.”
A spokeswoman for Perth and Kinross Council confirmed that an agreement had been made for the park to be handed over, but only if a community group was formed to manage the site.
She said the approach was accepted, but then admitted: “Due to there being no such indication of any progress in forming the community group, it has unfortunately been necessary for us to arrange for the play equipment to be removed and the site reinstated as open space.”