THE creation of a £50,000 play area which took three years to organise has hit an eleventh hour funding crisis.

work was due to start last August to create a multi-use play area in Westhoughton.

But nearly six months later nothing has been done - and the group behind the scheme has been told key funding will be cut if work does not start by the end of February

Alan Rhodes, vice chairman of Wingates Residents' Association, said members feared the scheme might not go ahead.

He said: "We are very worried about the Holden Lea play area. Living Spaces, the government arm part-funding the project will withdraw the final £12,500 if work is not done quickly.

"Bolton Council told us work would start on the park this week, but nothing has happened.

"For two years, they have given us a series of false promises and misinformation about the project.

"Meanwhile the kids who should be using the park are getting older, leaving school and getting jobs.

"There has been one delay after another, from establishing ownership of the land to the council insisting a toxic study should be done half a mile away on another site."

Bolton Council has contributed £26,000 to the play area - which will contain a "play wall" with inbuilt goal posts and a basketball net.

Association treasurer Lawrence Owens said: "It's difficult to consider what will happen if we lose this money. Despite the massive increase in housebuilding around Westhoughton, facilities for children are at the 1950s level. They haven't been considered at all."

A spokesman for Living Spaces, which is funded by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, confirmed work should have begun in August. And he said there was 'no guarantee' the final contribution would be made if work was far behind schedule.

He said: "The date has been slipping and slipping. That's quite common for a project like this but unusual for a council to be involved and have no starting date established."

But a council spokesman said work would definitely begin next week.

He said: "It was hoped to start the work in August, but there have been various problems including the need for mining and drainage surveys. Staff shortages have also contributed to delays.

"But the project is not jeopardised in any way and is planned to be completed before the Living Spaces' end date."