Vandalism and the impact of Covid-19 were given as reasons as to why a park garden has been shut since April, as campaigners push for a reopening date.

A Harrow Council sign placed on the gates of King George V Memorial Gardens, in Canons Park, noted work has been ongoing at the site following “vandalism last summer” to the paving and shelter.

It explained further repairs are necessary to the guttering and fencing, while reopening has also been delayed “due to difficulties surrounding the coronavirus”.

“We apologise for any inconvenience caused and look forward to welcoming visitors back as soon as possible,” it added.

Park users have been calling on the council to reopen the gardens, which were closed when the first lockdown measures were introduced at the end of March, at a time when open spaces are deemed even more valuable with Covid-19 restrictions in place.

A reopening date is yet to be announced, though groups such as ‘Reopen GVG’ and ‘Local Park Communities’ have called on Harrow Council to appreciate the value of good communication with its residents.

In response to the sign being put up, ‘Local Park Communities’ tweeted: “Here is a lesson to all councils. It is no coincidence that the first six letters of communication and community are the same.

“If you want to improve the health of a community, improve the communications. If we don’t know what is going on, how can there be common-unity?”