Calls to close off play area

Alderman George Robinson says the child was playing in the Alexander Road park with a parent when he was injured. The child's father contacted the Limavady DUP Councillor after the incident to complain about the amount of broken alcohol bottles in the play area.

Alderman Robinson, who has before called for the play park to be closed-off during the night, said it was a consistent target area for anti-social behaviour.

Alderman Robinson said: "At the weekend I received a call from a parent whose child suffered a cut to their hands from strewn glass in the play park. I contacted Limavady Borough Council who sent down council officers to clear up the glass and from what I believe there was a lot of it."

He continued: "Thanks has to be given to the council workers who attended so quickly, but this incident reaffirms my call to have the play area closed after 9pm during the summer and 6pm during the winter.

"Particularly at weekends a small minority of people are using this park to drink. Bottles are then broken and strewn across the area, much to the hazard of the people who it is there for; children and their parents."

As well as asking for the area to be closed after a certain time, the MLA says he would like to see a better police presence in the area, particularly at weekends.

"I would appeal to those people responsible to please, at the very least, not drink and break the bottles there. This park is for children in the area. This area seems to attract this type of behaviour because it is enclosed and considered off the beaten track for police patrols. I would appeal to police to keep a closer eye on this area to help prevent anti-social behaviour from occurring there."

Last year it was revealed the park, just off the Backburn Path had cost council in the region of 20,000 to clean and fix after continuous vandalism. In September last year vandals caused 1,000 worth of damage to play facilities by burning a swing which had only been installed days earlier. A Limavady Borough Council spokesperson confirmed that a Playground Inspector attended the park on Sunday afternoon after a report of broken glass.

The spokesperson said: "I can confirm that technical services received a call yesterday (Sunday) afternoon reporting broken glass at the Alexander Road play area and immediately council deployed a staff member, who is actually the Playground Inspector, to ensure it was made safe again for children to play."