A £50,000 garden built for the benefit of children with severe disabilities and terminal illnesses is so rundown it could be forced to close.

The sensory garden, in Victoria Park, Nelson, was built just four years ago but an independent inspection has said much of it is in an unsafe condition.

Now the council might have to shell out £5,000 to return the garden to a grassed area, with a decision set to be made at the Nelson committee meeting on Monday.

An annual inspection by The Play Inspection Company revealed the quality of work-manship in the construction of the garden was not of the correct standard to begin with and that many of the buildings did not comply with building regulations.

Other concerns raised in the inspection include vandals gaining easy access to the site, several fall hazards, a number of plants having sharp leaves that could injure children, steel fencing that is not up to acceptable standards and the garden not being used by the intended user.

Coun Nadeem Ahmed, whose ward covers the park, said the council should consult with local groups who use the garden before making a decision.

He said: “It is a sensitive issue and one we have to handle correctly.

"It should be up to people who use the garden to tell us whether they use it regularly or not and whether they want to keep it.

“I use the park quite a lot and don’t see many people using the garden but it could be very popular in the day, this is what we need to find out.”

The garden was built by the community group Caring Today, who shared the cost with the council.