TWO teenagers have been seriously injured since Winchester’s new skatepark opened in the middle of September.

A family friend of both boys said one had had to have emergency surgery to have a blood clot removed from his brain after hitting his head, while another had broken his shoulder.

The £270,000 spray concrete skatepark in North Walls park only opened to the public on Saturday, September 13.

It replaced an outdated one made from prefabricated metal ramps and is due to be formally opened by Mayor of Winchester Eileen Berry on October 27.

A Winchester city council spokesman said: “The site was inspected by the construction contractor first thing on Monday morning to check the site for safety.

“The contractor was aware of at least one of the incidents when he did the safety check.

“We have not been contacted directly about either of these instances.

“We are aware of them because River Park Leisure Centre was involved in providing first aid and contacting the emergency services and through the skate rangers present at the park at the time of the incidents.

“We are sorry to hear about the accidents. We wish those involved a speedy recovery.

“We know that many hundreds have been enjoying the new park. Safety messages are clearly displayed.”