Fury over fake sign at a Melbourne playground telling children they are free to use the equipment because they are 'safe' from coronavirus

Fake council signs encouraging children to use playground equipment because they are 'safe' from coronavirus have been left at Melbourne parks as the city goes into stage three lockdown amid a second wave of infections. 

Believing the signs were from the local council, many families used the playgrounds at Chelsea Bicentennial Park and Bonbeach Recreation Reserve in Melbourne's south-eastern suburbs over the weekend. 

The bogus signs used the City of Kingston logo and its Mayor Georgina Oxley's signature to make them seem authentic.    

'Park open,' the signs read, before providing information about why children are 'safest' from COVID-19. 

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Several fake signs (pictured) falsely telling people it was safe to use playgrounds were left at Chelsea Bicentennial Park and Bonbeach Recreation Reserve in Melbourne's south-eastern suburbs over the weekendKingston City Council recognises that a strong immune system is [the] best defence against the current COVID-19 threat and children are the safest community group,' the sign read. 

'Your children can best maintain a healthy immune system by the following: regular vitamin D, regular physical activity [and] healthy eating habits. 

'Please observe all required social distancing measures while using this park equipment.'  

Images of the signs circulated on Facebook before the Kingston Council ripped them down, replacing them with red signs that said 'playground closed'.Outraged her signature had been used, Mayor Oxley warned her Facebook followers 'these signs are fake'.   

'It's incredibly upsetting that someone has forged my signature and used the Kingston Logo to try to mislead our community,' she wrote. 

'Playgrounds are closed - and for good reason - to keep US ALL SAFE, especially our youngest Kingston residents.

'We must keep going! We're in this together, and this type of divisiveness is not welcome in our united community.'    

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City of Kingston Mayor Georgina Oxley with a counter-sign telling the local community that the playground was in fact closed

Mayor Oxley held a press conference at one of the playgrounds with Victorian MP Tim Richardson on Monday, saying they would further investigate the matter. 

'Our community has come together and shown so much love and care for each other following the rules,' Mr Richardson said.

'People thought they were doing the right thing and got on the playground on the weekend. We reiterate that playgrounds are closed for the time being.

'We'll be following this up. Georgina, we're going to investigate this and take it further.'   

Melbourne is currently in stage three lockdown, which means people are only allowed to leave the home to shop for food and supplies, medical care or caregiving, exercise and study or work.   

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Mayor Oxley held a press conference at one of the playgrounds with Victorian MP Tim Richardson (right) on Monday, saying they would further investigate the matter