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Children locked out of play areas

VANDALS have forced the closure of 10 Medway play areas, leaving hundreds of youngsters with nowhere to go during the school holidays.

Medway Council has been forced to padlock the playgrounds because it cannot afford the £120,935 needed to repair damaged equipment. One fifth of Medway's 86 play areas are now shut because of vandalism, or are in urgent need of health and safety work.

The closures have started a political row. Priority sites in need of urgent refurbishment include Copperfields in Rochester, at a cost of £19, 8130, and Hook Meadow in Weedswood and Borstal, at costs of £15,000 each.

Parents are furious that council budget cuts have led to swings, roundabouts and slides being out of bounds during the all-important summer months.

The 10 playgrounds closed are Copperfields, Rochester; Cherry Trees, Rainham; Otway Street, Gillingham; Laburnum Road, Strood; Chalk Pit Hill, Chatham; Grange Road, Gillingham; Whitegate Wood, Wigmore; Craige Walk, Chatham; Hook Meadow, Weedswood and Borstal play area.

Some play areas have been closed for a considerable number of weeks, with others shut since the beginning of the school holidays in July.

A further seven play areas remain open, even though they urgently require health and safety work, at a total cost of £56,500. These are Riverside Country Park, Rainham; Perry Street, Chatham; Iona Close, Chatham; Hempstead Infants, Hempstead; Darnley Road, Strood; Luton Recreation Ground, Chatham; Cozenton Park, Rainham and Beechings Way, Gillingham.

Troy Town's Cllr Nick Bowler said: "I find the whole situation ludicrous and totally unacceptable. At the height of the summer holidays, these children need to get out and play, but they need somewhere to play and something to play on. If they can't play in the park, where are they meant to play?

"Vandalism is nothing new, it's a national issue that should have already been taken into account in their budget. There can be no excuses, it's the council's responsibility to keep these parks open."

John Shaw, a senior Labour councillor, said: "It's all very well claiming to have the lowest council tax in the South East but not if the effect of it is to have to close down the children's swings and playgrounds. Labour councillors have pledged to work together to do all they can to get the parks repaired and re-opened.

Medway Council has already spent £126,915 this year on repairs and renovations to playgrounds at Chatham's Town Hall Gardens, Beechings Way in Gillingham, and The Old Orchard in Rainham.

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