A popular soft play in Swindon is set to throw in the towel for good after being flooded for the second time in a month.
Kidz About, housed in the Spectrum Building at Mead Way, has been a mainstay since its opening in 2011 but suffered severe flooding on Friday evening for the second time in less than four weeks.
With heavy rainfall in the town, the water got into the building and wreaked havoc just as it did last month when a torrential thunderstorm hit Swindon.
The business was already set to close around that time but the building’s owners allowed the team to stay on for one further month after the water threatened to ruin their farewell.
Kidz About owner Alistair Burnett has now conceded that it is now unlikely the soft play will be able to reopen before the end of the month.
“It is most probable that we will close permanently now and we are due to close on October 29 so a formal decision will be made on Monday,” he said.
“Ironically it happened on Friday the 13th and I’m not a big believer but someone doesn’t want us to be here so we are going to listen to the greater beings and move on I think.”
After seeing a few customers, the Kidz About team turned up on Saturday to help clean up the mess which was reminiscent of last month’s damage.
“We have cleared up quite a bit of water today but the big concern is that the rain is set to come in again on Wednesday,” said Alastair.
“This time it hasn’t taken out the electrics but there was a similar amount of water as last time with the kitchen flooded entirely.
“We don’t know where the water is coming in from and there’s clearly a problem with the building’s drainage.”
Alastair and the team only reopened on Saturday, September 30, and only had four days open between then and the first weekend of October.
“My staff are going through emotional rollercoasters and a mentally traumatic four weeks so there has to come a point where enough is enough,” he said.
“It’s been a railroad of nightmares so I have to take some responsibility for how the team is working.
“My team have been fantastic all the way through so I think it is well and truly time to concentrate our efforts on something positive moving forward.”
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