The children’s play area in the Sea Terminal has been removed following an incident of vandalism.

Situated in the far end of the waiting hall near the Steam Packet booking office, the equipment is popular with families both waiting for the bus and for somewhere to go with their children to play while they get a coffee.

However, over the weekend, the play area was cordoned off by the Department of Infrastructure and has since been removed.

A DoI spokesman said: ’The play equipment in the Sea Terminal was closed on Friday on safety grounds after being vandalised the previous night. It is due to be removed this week.

’The Department of Infrastructure will consider options for the area and apologises for any inconvenience in the meantime.’

However, the move has drawn criticism online from both parents and customers of Costa Coffee.

Social media posts relating to the closure of the play area saw parents outlining their anger at the decision.

One parent responded to a post: ’It’s used by lots of families as a meeting point using Costa for a coffee whilst the children play. It will probably affect their business.’

Another said it was a blow for parents as ’there is no other place to go anywhere on this island with kids where is open area and you can see you baby from anywhere and place under the roof’.

Taxi driver Martin Moore, who first raised the issue online, has started a petition to try to convince the DoI to replace the play area with a new one.

Mr Moore said: ’The Isle of Man Sea Terminal is enjoyed by many parents, play groups etc for the children’s play area and Costa Coffee being in the same place and indoors.

’This is a well used and much needed facility on the Isle of Man where the weather is regularly inclement and such facilities are scarce, bordering on non-existent.

’We, the petitioners, call on the DoI to replace the current play area, or keep it, rather than do away with it.’

There have so far been over 200 signatures to the petition at: www.change.org/p/isle-of-man-government-department-of-infrastructure-keep-a-children-s-play-area-in-the-isle-of-man-sea-terminal.