COUNCIL bosses may order the closure of more than a third of its equipped play areas because many of them have been declared high risk.

A report by Chester-le-Street District Council's leisure services manager says the authority is looking to close as many as 15 of its 40 play areas.

It says a cash shortage, combined with more stringent national safety standards, has ensured a wide-ranging review of policy.

Leisure services manager Ian Simon's report reveals the department's £77,770 annual budget is nowhere near enough to maintain and improve the 40 play areas it owns and runs.

His report reveals:

l Very few play areas just five out of 40 meet the minimum requirements laid down by the National Playing Fields Association

l Many play areas do not offer enough to interest children. Thirty-five out of the 40 playgrounds have been assessed as offering only low or medium "play value"

l In terms of safety, 32 of the council's play areas have been declared medium or high risk.

However, Mr Simon says that Chester-le-Street, with 8,600 children under the age of 12, has more play areas per 1,000 children of that age group than do most authorities.

He said: "When we looked at the quality of these play areas we realised we needed to improve a lot of them.

"Standards have increased over the years and this has coincided with some of our areas getting older.

"If any of our play areas were dangerous we would close them, and likewise we would get rid of any equipment that posed a danger to children.

"We are going to work with Sure Start, in Chester-le-Street, and bid for National Lottery money to help us improve the play areas. It is not realistic to expect the council to put up all the money."

Once the report has been examined by the council's advisory review panel, on Thursday, the matter will be thrown open to wider consultation with interested bodies.

Roger Vincent, spokesman for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, said: "They will find that once play areas are upgraded, and made more interesting, more children will use them. That means they won't go and play on railway tracks and other dangerous places."