The North West's largest indoor inflatable centre has now opened up in Preston

Families now have a brand new attraction to head to following months of lockdown restrictions, with Jump Maniax opening its doors yesterday, as the third phase of the roadmap out of lockdown was introduced.

The £250,000 attraction, off Mercer Street near the city centre, opened to excited families yesterday for the first time, with Mayor of Preston Coun David Borrow there to cut the ribbon.

And the Mayor even took his shoes off and experienced the indoor play centre for himself, in one of his final engagements.

He said: “We’re delighted that Jump Maniax has chosen Preston as the first location to open such an exciting new family attraction.

“It’s yet another first for the city and shows how entrepreneurs, even in challenging times, have the confidence to invest here.

“We wish them every success and hope people will continue to support all local independent businesses after such a long period of uncertainty.”

>>> The North West's largest indoor inflatable centre was set and ready to reopen last month.

One-way systems, perspex barriers, floor signage and a pre-booking service are just some of the precautions in place for families to stay safe at the 20,000 square foot centre.

And yesterday, May 17, indoor leisure centres were among the businesses given the green light to reopen following months of lockdown restrictions and closures.

Following a successful first day, Manager Martin Bamber told the Post: "The customers have been really excited about coming back into places like this and getting out doing fun activities with family and friends.

"Everyone has been in lockdown for so long and it has been incredibly difficult, so having an environment like this where they can bounce around and have fun makes people feel like we are heading back to some sense of normality.

"There has been an incredible public response so far and everyone has been so enthusiastic about coming back, including our staff who have had a year off work and can't wait to get going again."

And Samir Patel, the director of Jump Maniax, said: “We were ready to open earlier this year, so we’re thrilled to finally be bringing the next generation of leisure attractions to Preston for the whole city to enjoy.

“This is the biggest, bounciest and best indoor inflatable park in the region with 15 different inflatables. It’s got everything from huge slides and gigantic ball pools to an inflatable football pitch and even a basketball court.

“There’s also vertical drop slides, a wipeout zone, a play area for toddlers and a giant assault course for families to have fun in a safe environment whatever the weather.”

Customers must pre-book their visit online beforehand on the centre's website.