CITY leaders and parents have vented frustration at a lack of child supervision at the The Strand water park after another hygiene incident forced a shutdown at the weekend.

A lifeguard on duty on Sunday morning was forced to use toilet paper to clean up after a child not wearing swimwear defecated in the play area. The park was closed for the rest of the day as council staff sanitised the water.

This latest incident follows men being pictured using the water park as a shower and a separate hygiene incident on Australia Day when several children fell ill.

Council Healthy and Safe City Committee chairman Gary Eddiehausen said he was “gobsmacked” the water park was again a victim of poor behaviour.

“It’s just mind-boggling ... what were the parents doing?” he said. “The lifeguards aren’t employed by city council and ratepayers to clean up a disgusting mess like that. Why didn’t parents keep a closer eye on the child.”

Cr Eddiehausen said people taking children to the park should make sure to use the toilet and regularly change nappies.

“The real jewel in Townsville is The Strand, and it’s where huge amounts of tourists and locals visit, so just imagine the negative publicity they will take back home about what has happened,” he said. “It’s a public facility and families should not be turned away because it is closed due to a lack of parental responsibility.”

Townsville Lifeguard supervisor Russell Blanchard confirmed one of his staff responded to the “code brown” after a member of the public pointed out the mess.

“When you have incidents like that you can’t leave it,” he said. “We know accidents can happen but we would like to see all children wearing appropriate swimmers and under parental supervision because lifeguards aren’t babysitters.”

Last month, council pledged lifeguards would monitor visitors and those not following the rules will be given their marching orders.