A POPULAR indoor trampoline park in Southampton has made the shock announcement that it has closed its doors for good.

Oxygen Freejumping at Antelope Retail Park in Thornhill has been shut since the coronavirus lockdown started in March.

Operators have now said the facility will not be re-opening when indoor leisure facilities have permission to do so by the government.

A statement on Oxygen Freejumping’s website cited the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic but also the fact that the business had been unable to agree a fresh lease term with landlords.

The statement said: “It’s with great sadness that we have to announce the closure of our Southampton trampoline park.

“Alongside the difficulties that the current Covid-19 crisis has presented us, we have been unable to agree on a lease term with the landlord that secures a sustainable future and have therefore had to close the doors.

“Our top priority is to support our Southampton park team as much as we can.”

The facility off Bursledon Road, which was described as a £1.5million venue before its launch, opened in late 2015 creating more than 50 jobs.

At the time it was the company’s second site after starting out in Acton, London, however the business went on to expand nationwide.

The Southampton establishment is not the first to shutdown in the past year, with the Leeds trampoline park closing in September 2019, also after failing to agree a lease.

The online statement added: “We will refund any future bookings and customers will shortly be contacted by our customer service team.

“Please bear with us during a time where we have a reduced workload to manage this, but rest assured we will be in touch accordingly.

“We have thoroughly enjoyed being part of the Southampton community and we want to take this opportunity to thank the incredible team we’re leaving behind. They have been an asset to the Oxygen family and we wish them all the best for the future.”