THE STATE-OF-THE-ART new play park at Dawlish will be officially opened today.

Mayor of Dawlish Cllr Lisa Mayne will perform the ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the occasion.

The £320,000 play park at Manor Gardens and the trail through the Lawn will opened a few weeks ago.

Despite an initial set back when vandals caused damage to some of the equipment and threw litter around just two days after it opened, the park has been deemed a huge success.

Children and parents are delighted with the coastal-themed park which features a train, station office, fishing boat, Black Swan rockers and an interactive tunnel.

There is an inclusive trampoline and a play boat with a ramp for wheelchair users along with a roundabout which is also accessible.

Totem poles are positioned through the Lawn leading to the Knowle and the play park itself. 

The equipment on the Lawn includes a wooden climbing spider, a pole for measuring height which uses the equivalent heights for animals such as rhinos, lions and chimpanzees, a beehive and a pole of animal sounds. 

The ‘gold standard’ design was several years in the making and specifically created to be accessible and inclusive. 

Today’s official opening event will start at 2pm at the Piazza then walk along the trail to the Manor Gardens.

The park is specifically created to be accessible and inclusive. 

It is wheelchair-friendly and includes features for the visually-impaired.