Steps leading to a child's slide at a Yarmouth holiday park were removed leaving youngsters open to the risk of a 5ft drop on to concrete, a court heard yesterday.

Steps leading to a child's slide at a Yarmouth holiday park were removed leaving youngsters open to the risk of a 5ft drop on to concrete, a court heard yesterday.

The danger was discovered at a play area at Burgh Hall Holiday Park by council inspectors, Yarmouth Magistrates' Court was told.

Officers from Great Yarmouth Borough Council visited the park on Lords Lane, Burgh Castle, in August 2008 as part of a health and safety and caravan licence inspection.

Environmental health officer Sarah Flatman said she found the play area in a “poor condition”. She said steps to a slide were missing in part and rotten, a wooden “rabbit rocker” was rotten, a climbing frame was rusty and paint was flaking off, and there were holes in a fibreglass treehouse and boot.

The council served site owner Mark Hole an improvement notice in October 2008, requiring him to make the play area safe by the end of the year.

Mr Hole, 46, denies contravening an improvement notice.

Mrs Flatman said she revisited the site in April 2009 to find some minor improvements had been carried out, but added: “The rest of the equipment had deteriorated and in my view that was creating further risk of injury to the public.”

Charlotte Lockwood, prosecuting for the council, told the court that the play area was the responsibility of Mr Hole and that he had failed to comply with the improvement notice under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

The court heard Paul Southey, who had leased the country club part of the site from Mr Hole, claim there was never an agreement that he would be responsible for the upkeep of the play area.

The case continues.