A YORK man who first sailed one of his model boats in Rowntree Park in 1948 said he's "never seen it like this".

The 86-year-old model boat enthusiast, Eric Coates, first visited the park as a 10-year-old boy.

Later becoming a member of York Model Boat Club, the Heworth man has built a variety of model boats in incredible detail.

"I'm home alone, after all these years it's something to do," Eric said.

Eric spoke of the time he made a Wallace and Gromit themed boat, with a speaker built in playing lines from the films.

When he'd sail the boat in Rowntree Park, Eric said that one of his favourite things to do was entertain the children who saw his creations.

"You'd see the smiles on their faces when they saw the boats, it was really great," he added.

The current state of the lake at Rowntree Park (Image: Harry Booth)

After more than three months of flood-forced closure at Rowntree Park in South Bank, the lake reopened full of debris and waste.

Eric said: "I've never seen it like this in my life.

"It is a disgrace, its not being looked after."

During the lengthy closure of the park, the Friends of Rowntree Park told The Press that the wall to the lake had been damaged by flooding and led to water from the Ouse filling the park.

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"I came down once and fished things out of the lake, there was a metal bolt, bits of hedgerow, there was all sorts of rubbish in there," Eric said.

In response to Eric's complaints, City of York Council conceded that the environment had made an impact on the lake.

Their director of transport, environment and planning, James Gilchrist said: "Like many natural environments, the lake is subject to seasonal changes which can significantly impact bodies of water."

The current state of the lake at Rowntree Park (Image: Harry Booth)

"The current condition of the lake has been caused by a combination of factors, including how wet the weather has been so far this year, and the impact this has had on the whole park.

"We understand that the lake is not currently in the condition we want it to be, which is why our teams are working hard to improve conditions.

"We are hopeful that we will be able to carry out works this year that will address the current issue and make it less likely to happen in the future."

The Friends of Rowntree Park told The Press that whilst the lakes fall under the council's remit and not theirs - they welcome volunteers to get in touch - should the opportunity to help clean the lake arise.

Those wanting to get in touch with the Friends of Rowntree Park can do so via their websites contact page, which can be found online here.