Falkirk Council apologises after synthetic 'ice' rink at Helix Park leaves skaters disappointed

The skating attraction opened to visitors on Saturday with many having pre-booked their sessions to enjoy a skate with the iconic horses as the perfect backdrop.

However, many who visited over the opening weekend were left disappointed by the experience and were seeking a refund.

Now Falkirk Council has apologised for letting visitors down and says steps have been taken to improve the experience.

The Falkirk Herald was contacted by skaters who said they felt the rink was “impossible to skate on” as there was no lubrication on the plastic boards and the skates which were for hire left a lot to be desired with rusty blades and broken buckles.

One mum, who visited with her two daughters on Saturday, said: “We attended and found a small rink with no music, no decorations etc. but we gave it the benefit of the doubt and thought we'd still give it a try. We noticed no one was skating and were just shuffling on the ice but, again, we thought we'd give it a try.

“The ice skates were rusty and not well maintained. The rink was just plastic with no lubrication or synthetic ice on it at all meaning you were unable to skate at all.

“My children also commented on how bad it was and we left after a couple of minutes of being on the rink. I noticed other families leaving within a few minutes clearly with the same opinion as myself.”

But she was not alone in her criticism of the rink. Following the opening, complaints regarding have been made on social media with many unhappy about their experience.

A spokesperson for Falkirk Council said: “We agree that the experience on offer has not been up to our usual high standards and we apologise for letting visitors down on this occasion.

“Unfortunately, weather and ground conditions from the outset delayed music and decorations being in place for the start of the experience as well as the quality of the skates on offer.

“This has now been fully rectified with our contractors assuring us that better quality skates are now available with a more festive atmosphere being created around the site. In addition, we have been assured by our contractors that the boards used are of the right quality for this type of event.

“Full refunds are being offered to any customer who felt disappointed by their visit and we’d ask them to get in touch as soon as possible.”

The rink is synthetic and not made of real ice, offering a softer landing with impact-absorbing technology as well as being an eco-friendly choice.

The rink is open for skating at the Helix until Sunday, January 7.

Sessions last around 25 to 30 minutes with tickets starting from £4.50. Skates are available to hire from toddler size eight to an adult size 11. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult on the rink and there’s a maximum of three children per adult.