A YOUNG girl had to be rushed to hospital after a party in The Zone in Saltcoats on Sunday.

She was later released - but some parents have blasted the venue for leaving other youngsters outside the venue for 45 minutes.

A Scottish Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We sent one ambulance to the incident.

“One female patient in her teens was transferred to University Hospital Crosshouse.”

The event at The Zone closed 45 minutes early after the teen collapsed and police and ambulance attended.

This week, the venue owners denied the event was mishandled and said they had received a lot of support from other parents for their handling of the situation.

One parent said: “The children were kicked out with no consideration for their safety – our girls went dressed up in a play suit and short skirt.

“It was supposed to finish at 10pm and there were lots of parents who arranged to pick up their children, as did I.

“I was told by The Zone that most kids should have had a phone anyway! I’m so angry.

“My daughter’s phone had no charge left.

“They were lucky to scramble together to get their bus fare.”

Another parent added: “I was under the impression that this was a small party and that it would be totally under control.

“It’s not their fault what happened but they could have organised it a lot better. They chucked them out.

“We weren’t aware that there was a situation.

“It’s crazy.”

Jessica Weaver, owner at The Zone, said: “The event was set up as a free private party and the young people, including my daughter, posted this as an invitation on Facebook.

“This therefore means that parents were aware of the number going, the time of the event and who the organisers were.

“There is no indication that the evening was mishandled and we have drawn significant support from parents and members of the community

“We at The Zone recognise the deep-rooted social issues that exist within our local community and believe that building relationships and educating young people is the most advantageous way of dealing with the issue.

“We are aware of the ongoing drug and alcohol misuse that exists and the impact this has in terms of development and future life chances.

“We aim to build on this reputation to encourage young people to visit and integrate within our facility and feel that any unfounded reporting will jeopardise this and may deter parents from allowing their children to attend.

“As these events are free we are not seeking any financial gain therefore protecting this facility is solely for the purpose of supporting young people to participate and take part in the local community.”