A MULTI-MILLION pound road will have its first death before it is even completed unless youngsters stop using it as a playground.

That was the message from Martin Young, site foreman of Darlington's Eastern Transport Corridor.

Children have been climbing over safety fences while workmen are busy on the site - often only missing heavy machinery by inches.

The £12.5m road, due to open next summer, passes by a number of houses on its two-mile route which includes the town's Red Hall estate.

Parents and their children are now being urged to keep the road a trespass-free zone.

Martin Landers, treasurer of Red Hall Community Partnership, attended the community safety meeting last Friday where the announcement was made.

He said yesterday: "When Mr Young said a child could die before the road is finished, it sent shivers up my spine. I have kids, and it frightens you.

"There is only a flimsy fence and they are jumping over it. There are gigantic earth movers and there have been times when they have only just missed people."

Councillor Ian Haszeldine, of Darlington Borough Council, also attended the meeting and said: "As a ward councillor, I have very grave concerns about health and safety in the area.

"I have chased kids off there myself. When you look at some of the machines they have 6ft wheels - they are massive.

"They have put signs up, but they get pulled straight back down overnight."

A Darlington council spokesman said: "We have had problems with children getting on to the Eastern Transport Corridor site.

"We cannot stress strongly enough this is a building site and not a playground. There is a lot of heavy machinery in use on a daily basis, there are deep excavations, knotweed and many other potential hazards.

"We would seriously urge young people to stay away from this site."

Inspector Brian Maudling, from Darlington Police, who was also at the meeting, said the police's main role was education of the dangers, rather than criminalising youngsters.

The road, once finished, will link Haughton Road with the A66, and aims to cut congestion in Haughton Road, Yarm Road and McMullen Road