A bid to better last year’s failed city centre ice rink in Canterbury has been launched.

The city council has put the project out for tender as it welcomes offers to launch the rink in the Dane John Gardens this winter.

Last year’s attempt to deliver the attraction - which had been promised by Noah and the Shed - ended in disaster when escalating costs and a lack of time led to the scheme collapsing.

But now the council is hopeful things will run smoothly.

The tender states: “The council wishes to select and appoint a suitable delivery partner for the management and delivery of the Canterbury Ice Rink 2018 and invites prospective suppliers to submit a proposal to meet the council’s requirements.”

The costs in 2017 were originally forecast to total £80,000 but it soon rose to £120,000 - meaning operators had to reluctantly pull the plug, much to the dismay of disappointed families.

Last month, commissions manager Sarah Randall said: “Despite the failure of the venture, there was significant press and social media coverage indicating demand for this sort of activity.

“On the basis of this, consideration is being given to delivering an ice rink for this Christmas, but doing so through a procurement exercise. In this way, the council can clearly set out its expectations, assess the competency of the provider and have more input over quality.”