A TEMPORARY ice rink has suffered because of the wintry weather.

The extreme cold of recent weeks has cut the number of skaters able to travel into Durham to reach the facility.

Heavy snowfalls over the past month have also added to the problems for businessman Jan Eskildsen and his team running the outdoor facility, next to the city’s former indoor rink, in Freeman’s Place.

Staff have had to be on hand to remove overnight snow before it froze on the 30 by 20-metre rink prior to scheduled daily public sessions.

Mr Eskildsen, from Denmark, and his wife, skating coach Christine, are behind plans to bring a permanent ice facility back to Durham for the first time since the closure in 1996 of the Riverside Rink, home of the city’s former ice hockey team, the Durham Wasps.

Since Mr Eskildsen announced his plans to develop an Olympic-sized rink in the city, last year, the scheme has been hit by delays, but he hopes the development will begin to take shape this year.

But he is seeking a show of support from ice sports enthusiasts to prove there is demand.

Everyone attending the temporary ice pad is being asked to add their name to a petition backing calls for a permanent rink.

Mrs Eskildsen said: “We’ve gathered a few thousand names so far, and there’s still two months for people to add their support.”

Daily skating sessions run from 10am to 10pm, with Learn to Skate classes from 9am to 10am and Learn to Play ice hockey, from 8am to 9am, both on Saturdays and Sundays until March 28.