Tickety-Boo in Ottery St. Mary recently announced on social media that it would be closing its play kingdom, which is a bespoke indoor play area for children. The adjoining cafe will however remain open.

Owner of Tickety-Boo, Stuart Phillips, issued the following statement: "I put my heart and soul into the play kingdom and invested a lot of money, including refurbishing the whole play area this year.

"Unfortunately, although we have welcomed lots of really lovely customers and their families to enjoy playtime at Tickety-Boo, there has also been some continuing negativity and a handful of people who didn't understand the concept.

"The play kingdom was never a money making project for me, in fact quite the opposite – but it was a joy to do while it was fun.

"I'm in talks at the moment so there may well be a future for it, which will be a great outcome as it was so beautifully built by local tradespeople.

"This decision hasn't affected our staff who are employed at Tickety-Boo as before - the coffee shop remains open as usual and we're developing this to offer family dining on Friday and Saturday evenings.

"As always, thank you to everyone who has been supportive."