PARENTS have called for a playground ride to be removed after two children fell off and suffered broken bones.

Four-year-old Ruby Cox, from Bishops Tawton, and eight-year-old Paige Jury, from Fremington, both fell from the RidgeRider at Fremington's new Beechfield Road play area.

Ruby has had four surgical procedures to repair her arm.

Her mother, Charlotte Homewood, said: "As she came round the corner of the ride she was tipped off the cart and landed hard on her elbow. She was in hospital for 10 days and on morphine for a whole week.

"After the first operation her fingers were black and cold. Doctors said she could have lost her whole arm. It was a nightmare."

Paige Jury was left needing surgery on a broken arm after she fell off the ride.

Paige's mum, Anne Noons, said: "She's frightened to set foot anywhere near the ride now. I know of other injuries that children have suffered from the ride — one child was hit in the face by the buggy which travels around the track at high speeds.

"This is a busy play park that is used by children of all ages and a ride like this has no place here."

The RidgeRider is made by Record RSS. When it was launched the company said of the ride: "It introduces an element of risk which has never previously been experienced in the playground."

Parents of the injured girls want it removed.

Charlotte said: "It is clearly not fit to be in a children's playground. I wouldn't want anyone to go through what we have been through — it has been horrendous."

Anne said: "Local residents raised a lot of money to install this park and I think it should have been spent a bit more wisely."

Frank Biederman, chairman of the Fremington and district community group, said: "I am disappointed that people want this ride removed. We worked hard to get this playground installed and wanted it to appeal to all ages.

"The RidgeRider is admittedly one of the more challenging rides. It upsets me to see children get hurt.

"Parents must take responsibility to make sure their children are playing within their own capabilities."

Fremington district and county cllr Rodney Cann added: "This ride is not suitable for young children.

"I had a go myself when the park opened and it is very fast and needs to be treated with caution.

"The current signing is not clear enough — there needs to be at least two signs clearly stating that it is not for use by children under seven."

Jane Mills, Fremington parish council clerk, said: "We cannot comment at the moment as the ride is currently the subject of legal proceedings."

Chris Lodge, managing director of Record RSS who make the ride, said: "Safety is always our overriding priority and while any accident to a young child is regrettable it is not possible to entirely eliminate risk.

"The signage on the side panels in two places clearly shows that the ride is not to be used by children under seven years old.

"Younger children cannot always make the correct assessment of the risk involved and the Ridge Rider has been designed to preclude them unless supervised by a responsible adult."