THE bill to replace equipment at three play areas, which was removed by Marlborough Town Council because of safety fears, could be more than £60,000, councillors heard on Monday.

This was the initial estimate given by one company, one of six asked to give costings for replacement play equipment at Coopers Meadow in the town centre, Rabley Wood in the north east of the town and at Manton.

Play equipment in all three areas was ordered to be removed as an emergency measure by the town council a month ago when inspections found that wooden supports had rotted.

Although regular visual inspections of the play areas had been carried out by the town council's own staff and their insurers, the condition of the wooden supports underground was not discovered until last month.

Town councillors ordered immediate closure of the three playgrounds and removal of all the equipment to prevent children using it.

Inspections carried out at the town council's other play areas in the Salisbury Road recreation ground and Orchard Road revealed that they were safe.

On Monday the town council recreation committee received costings from one company for new playgrounds made from corrosion-proof galvanised steel.

Coun Derek Smithers was concerned at the sum the council would have to find if it decided to replace all three play areas at the same time. He said: "I think we ought to do one at a time and see what the equipment is like before we go ahead with the others." He said the finance and general purposes committee had not set aside any particular sum for replacing the play equipment and could not until firm figures were known.

Committee chairman Coun Hilary Cripps revealed that a dozen different organisations and firms, including Waitrose and Tesco and developers Costain and Beaufort Homes, had been approached to see if they would contribute towards the new play equipment and replies were awaited.

Coun Bill Cavill said at least one of the play areas had been built by Kennet in a waterlogged area where wooden supports were not suitable.

The committee agreed to seek quotations for replacing the three Marlborough play areas and ask contractors for local examples of their play equipment which can be viewed.