They fear the revamp will damage the beauty of the area and lead to teenage anti-social behaviour.

And they are contesting work by Fylde Borough Council under the terms of a covenant on the gardens, which says their use should not disturb neighbours.

Spearheading the protest is Rodney Barlass, of Lowther Terrace.

Mr Barlass said: "This would diminish the gardens and take up the peace and tranquillity of the area.

"There has been a lot of vandalism in recent weeks. Last Friday there were broken beer and vodka bottles, tables had been removed and the crazy golf area was damaged."

He added: "Extending the infant playground to become a teenagers' playground would give rise to more problems.

Mr Barlass has the support of ward councillor Richard Fulford Brown who said: "Lowther was designed to be a haven of peace and tranquillity.

"The present children's area was primarily designed for young children, supervised by their parents.

"The proposed new facilities include a youngsters' cycle track and there is concern among residents that this would result in crowds of older children tearing around the gardens."

The project is being paid for by the Lottery fund and Playbuilder Scheme and carried out by the council.

A council spokesperson said: "Through consultation with the local Friends of Lowther Group, who represent the community, plans were prepared to make improvements to the park to meet the needs of children and parents or guardians for the coming years by utilising the parks landscape and natural materials.

"The plans are for a revamp and small extension of the existing play area using natural materials that are more in keeping with the scale and character of the park.

"It will remain targeted at the under 12 age group providing a safe yet low key play area that will not detract from the look or feel of the rest of the gardens, allowing everyone to enjoy them just as they do now."