More than 400 Knowle West residents angry about the £4-million sale of a public park have signed a protest petition presented to the city council.

The petition, handed over at a council meeting last night, calls for Filwood Park not to be used for housing and for it to be turned into an adventure playground.

Residents say they were not properly informed or consulted over the sale of the 11-acre landscaped park to public housing provider English Partnerships.

As the petition, which has 438 signatures, was handed over there were also representations made by three local residents.

Shaun Bailey, of Inns Court Drive, asked the council for an apology after their handling of the situation.

He said: "We all should have been asked about the future of the park. On behalf of all the children and young people in the Filwood area, I appeal for proper, supervised play facilities."

Another Knowle West resident, John Knuckley, said he was "shocked" at how quietly the land was sold.

He said: "I would like the council to buy back our park, make it into a proper park and maintain it."

Before the meeting, Liberal Democrat group leader Barbara Janke had submitted questions to Councillor John Bees, who is in charge of transformation and resources, about the sale of the park.

The answers, returned in written form because of Mr Bees' absence from the meeting, were branded "an absolute disgrace" by Knowle Lib Dem councillor Gary Hopkins.

Asked by Mrs Janke if he could explain how the sale of the park affected the Area Green Space plan, Mr Bees' answer was: "The area is well served by green space."

Area Green Space plans are intended to determine where capital to be invested in parks will be spent to improve the local environment.

The decision to sell the park was taken in late 2007 and the council maintains it was properly advertised with public notices, and that a number of public meetings were held.

Residents say they did not hear anything about the controversial move.

In his written answers, Mr Bees said that the money made in the sale would be used to finance regeneration work in the area.

English Partnerships, a quango which builds public housing, says a consultant will be appointed in mid-November to plan the site's future with Bristol City Council and that there will be extensive consultation as part of that process in the first half of next year.