SAFETY concerns have been raised after a herd of cows were seen roaming around a local playpark.

Parents say they are worried a child could be seriously injured after the bovines and other farm animals were seen running through the new swing park at Regatta View in Fairlie.

The playpark was recently built within the new Dawn Homes housing development on the south side of the village to meet the needs of the additional housing which has been built in the area.

Families fear it could be destroyed or someone hurt unless the matter is addressed by the builders.

It is understood a broken fence allowed the animals to escape from a nearby field and enter the play facility.

One concerned parent, who didn't want to be named, contacted the News to voice his concerns.

He said: "The combination of the recent opening of the playpark at Regatta View in Fairlie and the free roaming of farm animals is hazardous.

"Whilst the timid lambs will be intriguing for the children using it, the larger cattle surely pose a danger to youngsters and the property."

Councillor Tom Marshall told the News parents' safety concerns need to be addressed immediately.

He said: "This is very worrying. You can't have farm animals running around a swing park, it could potentially end up extremely dangerous for children who use the facility and could lead to somebody being badly hurt.

"It is totally unacceptable and it is up to whoever is responsible needs to fix the fencing as soon as possible to make sure that this doesn't happen again."

The new swing park was built within the new housing development after a condition agreement was placed by North Ayrshire Council planners in granting planning approval for the development in order to provide facilities for local children."

Martin Egan, managing director of Dawn Homes, said: “The health and safety of residents, staff, and, of course, any local farmyard animals, is something we take very seriously across all of our developments. We have already conducted a thorough review of our fencing and we are now working alongside the farmer to quickly establish how the animals are entering the development. We are confident we will quickly find a solution to prevent future entry.”