A SIX-YEAR-OLD boy has been left “inconsolable” after killjoy council chiefs threatened to remove his trampoline because it is in a communal garden.
Tracey Hope, who bought the 12ft play equipment for her son, Cole Hendry, has been given a week to take the trampoline down after neighbours complained about its size, as well as noise and verbal abuse from some of the children using it.
Ms Hope said her son would be “devastated” if the toy was taken away.
Edinburgh City Council chiefs have confirmed that if Ms Hope refuses to remove the trampoline, they have the power to remove it themselves because they own the land at the Sighthill, Edinburgh, housing block.
Ms Hope said: “Cole was sobbing the other day. He was inconsolable.
“He kept saying ‘Why are they doing this mummy? Everyone else is allowed to keep their trampoline.’
“He gets so much enjoyment out of it. I’m able to monitor him out of the window and it is healthy, outdoor fun which is keeping him active.”
Ms Hope, who works for HM Revenue and Customs, insisted she got permission from neighbours before paying £140 for it. She said they were initially “happy” with the idea.
It was only after the trampoline arrived, she said, that objections were raised by one resident who had been “shocked” by its size and how close it was to her window.
Ms Hope admitted the apparatus looked bigger than expected, but said it had proved popular with local children.
She also stressed many of the children using it were not friends of her son.
The trampoline has since been moved to another communal garden, but this has sparked complaints from other neighbours.
There are eight people in total in the block, four on each side, which includes a mix of council and privately-owned flats.
The local authority confirmed it had received complaints from three different tenants.
The council, which owns the gardens, makes allowances for equipment, but only if residents are happy with it.
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