A play centre in Winnersh Triangle shut permanently today due to changing weather patterns, according to its owners.

Roni Zigner, director at Kids’n’Action Play and Party Centre (KnA), blamed ‘mild winters and hot dry summers over the last three years’ for the closure.

The owners of the Eskdale Road soft play centre were unable to sell the business and could no longer afford to keep the business running.

In a statement on the company’s Facebook page, Ms Zigner said: “We have made every effort to sell the business as a going concern and endeavoured to avoid the closure of the centre.

“Inclement weather has always been a positive to the business and increased custom.

“Our trading analysis shows that the mild winters and hot dry summers of the last 3 years have significantly affected the anticipated trade.

“The business was unable to maintain a consistent turnover to meet the fixed overheads without significantly affecting the quality of our services.

“Whilst we have experienced a good response to marketing the business, sadly no offer has been forthcoming which has led to completion of a sale.

“I am deeply saddened to let my committed and loyal team of staff go and to disappoint our customers by our closure.”

The play centre opened in August 2012 following a £500,000 investment by the Zigner family, providing soft play, imaginative role play and themed birthday parties with a 720-person capacity.

All the staff at the centre, near Earley, have lost their jobs.

Ms Zigner added: “No member of the public will be out of pocket.”

More than a thousand people have commented on the Facebook post announcing the closure.

Lizel Warren said: “I am so sad to hear this. KnA was a huge part of our lives for a long time.

“Best job, best friends made, best boss ever, and my kids came at least twice a week to play. So many fantastic memories.”

Others questioned if the announcement was an April Fools joke but staff who lost their jobs today confirmed the news was real.

Debi Harvey, of Harvey Insolvency & Turnaround, said the ‘significant costs of lease and rates arising in occupying leasehold premises in the Wokingham area’ were also a significant contributory factor in the play centre’s closure.