Council urged to clear torched park

A West London council has been urged to remove the remains of torched children's play equipment from a public park. The £225,000 play facility at Hanworth Park in Feltham was destroyed by vandals on February 24, just days after it was officially opened by Hounslow mayor Colin Ellar. It is believed that around five litres of petrol were poured onto the main climbing frame and set alight, leaving it totally destroyed. The Hounslow Chronicle reports that the remains of the torched play equipment are still at the site more than two months later, and a concerned resident has warned that the area must be cleared to prevent injury to local children. Lorraine Craggs told the newspaper that she was "shocked" at the state of the park, adding that the charred remains must be removed "before something serious happens to an innocent child". Mrs Craggs said: "I am shocked that Hounslow Council has not done anything about this. I went there two days ago and where the fire took place the remains are still there and not even blocked off so children are still able to run through the ash and the burnt tar." A council spokesperson said: “We are currently waiting on quotes for insurance to repair the senseless damage that took place at the playground at Hanworth, and hope to repair the site as soon as possible. “The damaged playground was initially cordoned off, and staff were careful to ensure that any hazardous material was removed from the site before it was reopened.” Malcolm Underhill, partner and specialist personal injury solicitor at IBB, said:

"The local authority are at risk. They have a duty to maintain the playground equipment and once made aware of a hazard, they should act expeditiously to protect those who may use that equipment. Failure to do so, as appears in this case, may not only lead to injuries to local residents, but also to prosecution under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974."

IBB Solicitors has built a reputation for quality of service in pursuing compensation in cases involving accident, illness or death. If you would like advice on personal injury issues, you can contact a member of IBB's Personal Injury team: call us on 08456 381381 or email pi@ibblaw.co.uk.