ANDY Murray’s inspiring Rome Masters victory over Novak Djokovic no doubt inspired young tennis fans to head to their local courts at the weekend.

But fans in Renfrew had little chance of replicating their hero duo to the gates at Robertson Park being locked by a “mystery spoilsport”.

Their disappointment over the padlocked courts has reignited a bitter war of words involving Renfrewshire’s leading politicians.

SNP duo Derek Mackay and Gavin Newlands delivered a stinging cross-court volley in the direction of Renfrewshire Council over the closure.

However, the local authority shuffled its feet quickly and returned the criticism with a venomous baseline back hand.

Taking the first hit, MSP Mackay said: “I’ve received complaints from disappointed families hoping to use the courts, where the nets were up and ready for use, but the gates were locked.

“This is ludicrous, especially considering the beautiful weather at the weekend.”

That prompted Labour Councillor Eddie Devine, convener of the local authority’s Environmental Policy Board, to lash back, accusing the SNP politicians of spreading lies.

He claims the closed court was down to an unknown “anti-social minority” who had padlocked the gate on Friday night.

Cllr Devine said: “It might be worth Mr Mackay checking his facts before launching into an ill-informed tirade which does nothing but discredit him. This really is one conspiracy too far.

“If Mr Mackay tried raising the level of his political debate above mud-slinging and actually spoke to the council, he would have learned that the padlock securing the tennis courts at Robertson Park was vandalised during Friday night.

“This made it impossible for staff to open the courts on Saturday morning.

“Unfortunately, this meant that the activities of an anti-social minority robbed the local community of the chance to play tennis on one of the best weekends of the year so far.

“The damaged lock has now been removed with cutting gear. This council works very hard to provide leisure facilities for local people to enjoy.”

This is the second round of squabbles over the court as MP Newlands previously locked horns with the council leader Mark Macmillan about spending at Robertson Park.

The MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North claimed Cllr Macmillan let local sports facilities in Renfrew “rot on his watch whilst sitting on a multi-million pound election war chest for 2017.”

In his most recent Twitter dig, SNP Business Convener, Derek Mackay apparently heard “many complaints” that the “Labour-led Renfrewshire Council locked gates to Robertson Park tennis courts on such a nice weekend”.

This caused Twitter users from the area to complain about the closure, with one user even claiming his cousin wept upon seeing the closed gates.

Callum Reid said: “Was going to take my wee cousin today. Burst into tears when I told him it was locked, still an ice cream calmed him down.”

Another user Anthony L ?said: “They seem to have forgotten that the citizens pay their wages and they are supposed to provide services.”

Faerie Ro Bell added: “Direct action by the people – bring on the bolt cutters!”

Mr Mackay added: “It fits entirely with Labour’s penny-pinching strategy of closing as much as they can at weekends and during school holidays.

“However, the park issue isn’t about funding, this is about poor management, pure and simple.

“It isn’t much to ask to open the courts to let the young people of the town play in their facilities.

“I visited the site myself. There were no health and safety issues and no reason to block public use. Unfortunately the Labour-led council’s hallmark is to neglect existing popular public assets while dabbling in new pet projects. Renfrewshire deserves better than this. I was previously involved in getting external funding to have the tennis courts upgraded, and Labour has simply put off people from using them.”