CHILDREN are being asked not to tear up safety surfacing at playing fields in Rudheath.

The plea comes from Rudheath Parish Council, which is to spend £500 on repairing granular rubber surfacing under swings at the Gadbrook Road playing fields.

The repairs are due to be carried out to an area of the surfacing which the council says has been picked apart by children, and will be the second time the same area has been repaired.

“We paid £300 about eight months ago to have the surfacing repaired, and are now spending another £500 on a bigger repair to the same area,” said parish council clerk Fiona Penny.

“We are asking children to stop tearing the surface up, as the money we are spending on repairs could be spent elsewhere.”

The council is due to spend about £1,200 on the repairs and providing a replacement waste bin and two dog bins.

The waste bin is to replace a bin at a teenage seating area at St John’s playing fields, and the dog bins are to be installed outside the children’s play area in the playing fields and at the Gadbrook Road playing fields near the CCTV cameras.