After polling youngsters to find out what they would like to play on, an action group raised more than £40,000 to build it.

They now have a zip wire, climbing towers, frames and nets, along with slides and swings, all built from sturdy treated timber by Gressenhall-based NGF Play.

At the official opening, parish council chairman Tony Walters paid tribute to the play park team of Jonathan Stroulger, Penny Ramm, Tony Dagless, Hayley Humphrey, Stephen Haws, Katie Paffett and Hayley Penney.

They organised yard sales, coffee mornings, barbecues and a rounders match where players had to run for cover in a downpour, which together raised £3,000.

Mr Walters said support from villagers for the project had been 'amazing'.

Grants were also received from the National Lottery (£10,000), North Norfolk Council's Big Society Fund (£7,500), Victory Housing Trust's Community Fund, via Norfolk Community Foundation (£4,000), the Love Norfolk fund (£3,000) and the EDP Community Chest (£700).

There were also donations from Bill Cleyndert Joinery, Fakenham Racecourse, Thurlow Standen Nunn, Norwich and Peterborough Building Society, Morrisons, the Francis Beckham Trust, the Edmundsons Family Trust, the Blacketts Pitt Fund, Fakenham Rotary Club and the Sculthorpe Events Team, along with a number of personal donations.

Now the play area team hopes to install picnic benches and a gazebo shelter on the site.

After twins Megan and Oliver Haws, both aged eight, cut the ribbon at the official opening, youngsters rushed to try out the new equipment.

But they weren't quite the first to use it. Parish councillor Jonathan Stroulger admitted he had tried the zip wire, which came top of the poll of equipment children wanted to see installed on the site.

'I was on it the other day,' he said. 'Just testing it, obviously.'