THE owners of a soft play centre in Clydebank say the uncertainty over when and whether they might be able to reopen to customers remains “demoralising”.

Neil and Catherine Halls admit that even when the iPlay facility is allowed to reopen, they expect it to only be at 40 per cent capacity – and that they fear they won’t be able to make enough money.

The couple were forced to shut up shop in March last year, and have been unable to open since.

Now, subject to government approval, there may finally be a reopening date in sight – but Neil says the uncertainty remains ‘demoralising’.

He said: “Nicola [Sturgeon] said she hopes we’ll be in Level 1 by early June but at that point, it’s not certain if soft play can actually open.

“It does feel like deja vu because we’ve been here before. We spent a small fortune last year thinking we could reopen in September, but then we weren’t allowed to reopen.

“This time it does look a little bit more hopeful that we will actually get to open, but the whole uncertainty is really demoralising.

“We’re working towards 40 per cent occupancy when we can reopen, and we won’t be in a position to take in enough money.”

The centre has had to put extra safety measures in place to ensure it is Covid compliant ahead of reopening.

Neil added: “We will be running at a lower capacity and we will be taking customers’ temperatures and contact details for Test and Protect on arrival.

“We will also be asking parents and guardians to wear face coverings when moving about the centre and we will be running timed sessions.

“We’ve also got screens installed, hand sanitiser in place, and all the tables will be socially distanced, and our booking software has been adapted to allow everyone to be able to book in online.

“My biggest worry is that with furlough going on until September, they won’t allow us to open until then.”