Row over play equipment at Lanark Loch

As reported, the Lanark Play Parks Action Group raised £150,000 to have the new state-of-the-art equipment installed, most of it designed for primary age children or younger.

However, reports quickly reached the Gazette of the equipment being used by older kids, mainly in their mid-teens and what appears to have been a well-intentioned attempt to discourage this has blown up into a row over the legal rights of minors.

The Gazette has received a letter from a Lanark parent who wishes to remain nameless in which he complains bitterly about an alleged incident at the lochside park last week involving his daughter, in her early teens.

He said: “My daughter and several of her friends were visiting the park at around 2.30pm when they decided to have a seat on the recently-installed new pieces of play equipment, which were completely unoccupied at the time.

“They had barely sat down when they became aware of an elderly lady, apparently taking photographs of them.

“The youngsters were astounded by what followed; the elderly lady started berating them for sitting on the equipment.

“She stated that the photos she had taken would be `used in evidence’ of their having sat on play equipment intended only for the use of children under eight years of age.”

For more on this story pick up a copy of the Lanark Gazette which is in the shops now.