Bosses at a Carlisle day nursery are furious after they splashed out on new outdoor play equipment which was only partially built.

Emma Clegg, 32, jointly manages the Jack and Jill Nursery in Stanwix with her mum Linda.

Having got the nursery’s interior as they wanted it, they decided it was time to spruce up their outside space, turning it into a play area complete with a playhouse, mud-kitchen and wooden music centre.

Yet six months after they paid for the work, the firm they went to has still not built two of those items.

They say that Chris Worstencroft, who runs Langholm based CMW Timber Works, has repeatedly given excuses for why the play house and music station have still not been installed.

Emma said: “I ordered the items in May and it was supposed to take five weeks for the items to be delivered.

“We have been on the go for 28 years and decided we wanted to spruce up the outside area, and CMW Timber Works was supposed to be making bespoke equipment for us to put outside.

“He was going to build a play house in the shape of a hill, using artificial grass so that it would look like the Tellytubbies hill you see on TV.

“There was also meant to be a big music station, with instruments for the kids to bang and play on. There was supposed to be a five-week lead-in time but he kept telling us that he had issues with other customers. Two months ago he arrived with the mud-kitchen and he said that his workshop had been broken into.”

In September, Mr Worstencroft wrote to Emma apologising for the problems with her order, saying he had no intention of letting down his customers.

He wrote: “As we are having major difficulties, it would be impossible for us to give you a full refund, so we would like to agree on a payment plan with yourselves if it is a refund you require. We will aim to get this balance cleared as soon as possible. We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience.”

Even now, said Emma, CMW Timber Works has not repaid any of the £1,080 she gave the firm for the two items which were not delivered. Nor will he answer her calls or respond to her messages, she said.

She added: “I just feel let down and I think other people should know about what has happened.”

We have tried unsuccessfully on three occasions to get a response from CMW Timber Works.