It was all smiles at the Rainbow Leisure Centre (RLC) in Epsom recently as the Mayor officially opened the centre's new play park.

As the Comet reported previously, the RLC, which is operated by Better, announced the brand new facility for children in the borough in partnership with Epsom and Ewell Borough Council (EEBC).

At the official unveiling, Epsom and Ewell Mayor John Beckett arrived to cut the tape and offer his thoughts on the new facilities for kids in the area.

"I understand that the idea behind this is to improve services for the under 10’s in Epsom and Ewell as only five per cent of visits to the Rainbow centre are from that age bracket.

"Let’s hope we see an increase with the installation of this wonderful play area," Cllr Beckett, who attended alongside the mayoress, said.

The mayor pointed out that there were only two 'purpose built' play areas in the borough, welcoming the RLC's addition and saying it is now the "largest" in Epsom and Ewell.

"It makes good use of the space as the bowling club only uses the area for 6 months of the year and I know the Council where supportive as the initiative was approved back in June.

"Although one of the lowest in Surrey for childhood obesity, 5% of the children in E&E are defined as obese and anything that can help with that is a good thing," Cllr Beckett said.

RLC said the new Play Park is open seven days a week from 9am to 5pm, offering local families "the opportunity to play, learn and grow in a safe and stimulating environment."