Anyone who has been for a walk down Molly Quirk’s Glen in Onchan recently cannot have failed to notice the furniture and canopies cropping up in one area.

Tables, chairs and even a swing had been placed high above the river at the Little Mill end of the beauty spot. You could be forgiven for thinking a homeless person may have set up a living space there.

But a minister has now clarified it was a children’s den but the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (DEFA) has had to step in as the sprawling structure has become unsightly.

Some of the items ended up scattered around the vicinity which led to glen users complaining about the mess.

One person posted on the Onchan Residents Facebook page raising concerns that items had been removed from the site. Local MHK Rob Callister responded to say DEFA staff had removed them following the complaints.

Now, DEFA Minister Clare Barber has posted on the Facebook page to confirm the items had been removed following complaints but remain in the depot and can be collected by the owners.

On the post she said: ‘I popped a comment on a post the other day about items removed from Molly Quirk's Glen by DEFA officers following complaints.

‘I can confirm that the items are still in our depot and have not yet been disposed of. 

‘We remain absolutely supportive of kids (and adults) using all of our beautiful glens, but would hope that natural items are used to make dens instead.

‘Leave only footprints’.