CRACKS appeared in the ice rink at the Riverside Leisure Centre, forcing it to close.

Pipes used to freeze the ice had split, causing small cracks to appear in the surface.

The rink was closed between 7am and 2pm on Saturday while the council fixed the problem.

A statement on the Riverside Leisure Centre Twitter feed, issued to a disgruntled customer who had turned up at the Victoria Road site, having not been told of the problem, said: “Apologies for any inconvenience caused. The ice rink closure was due to cracks appearing in the ice making it unsafe.

“Staff reacted quickly to ensure we could reopen for the pm session. Unfortunately they did not update our Twitter site.

“Procedures have been put in place to ensure that this is done should such instances arise again. Apologies.”