TEENAGERS in Good-worth Clatford have lost their village skate ramp. The temporary facility was removed more than a month early following complaints from neighbours over noise pollution.

A protest was held last Friday morning as contractors for Test valley Borough Council started to remove the ramp, which had been set to stay in the village for three months.

Pam Kirkham, whose 15-year-old son Ben uses the facility along with dozens of other youngsters from Goodworth Clatford, Upper Clatford and Anna Valley, was among angry mothers who felt the skate ramp should stay for the benefit of local children.

She said: "We live virtually next door to the skate ramp and we haven't found it a problem.

"This puts our children back onto the road to skate, which is very dangerous. They're told to move off from other places in the village and although there is a play park for the youngsters, there was no facility for ten-year-olds and upwards.

"We had thought that at last they had something to do.

"The skate ramp was such good news for the kids of this village.

"It provided them with a fun place and they were off the roads and safe.

"It was only for a short time anyway, but to remove the facility on the day before the school half term holidays is shocking.

"We were willing to club together and pay for it to be moved to the other side of the recreation ground or for the crane to go away and come back a week later."

Parish council chairman Ann Buckley and councillors were also out in force to support villagers.

But contractors moved in to remove the skate ramp, which will now spend a month in storage.

Dave Tasker, leisure development officer for Test Valley Borough Council, said: "We were assured by the parish council that there were no objections in the village to using this site, but there were a handful of residents unhappy with the mobile ramp.

"An Environment and Health pollution test confirmed that it did constitute a noise nuisance being so close to houses and asked us to have it removed.

"It's a shame because it's been well used and very successful. It's also bad timing with half term but that was the date the contractors could make."

Officers say there is a year-long waiting list for the ramp but there's no reason why the village can't apply to have the skate ramp reinstalled temporarily in a more suitable location.

So Goodworth Clatford skateboarders hope to be back on the ramp very soon.