POOLE'S Mayor, Cllr Graham Mason, gamely tried out a stationary skateboard when he opened the borough's newest skatepark.

But it took the daring youngsters to show how it should be done as they swooped and leapt on the mini half-pipe at the Fleetsbridge Skatepark.

The fifth skatepark in the council's pipeline, it nestles near the flyover on council land, nowhere near housing and with room to develop.

Cutting the ribbon and officially declaring it open, the Mayor said: "We have the start here of what hopefully can be expanded in the future."

This was a hope echoed by young skating exponent Ryan Bennetton, 12, of West Parley, part of the display team.

"It's all right," he said. "It's not the best, it's too small. It needs a vert," - a vertical wall.

It took around two years from Broadstone youngsters presenting a petition to the council to the skatepark being completed around six weeks ago.

Broadstone councillor Annette Brooke and Graham Wilson, executive spokesman for community development, searched the area for a suitable site before coming up with this one.

Funded by £25,000 from the Borough of Poole's capital programme and £10,000 from the planning obligation fund, the project has the support of councillors from Creekmoor and Broadstone.

"There is an opportunity to expand it, to make it into a better facility for the young people and hopefully they will be able to contribute so we are able to raise other funds," said Cllr Wilson.