The photo above shows the state of the fixtures of lighting poles in a small playground for children called Ġnien David Agius (former councillor) which was recently opened near St Thomas Bay.

As one can see, these fixtures are very close to the equipment, indeed they are adjacent to the green rubberised carpet laid down to avoid children from hurting themselves when they fall.

What would happen if a child fell on any of these protruding bolts, even those covered with rounded nuts? Isn’t this a hazard? Now considering that some time ago there was a big buzz about safety in playing fields, I was definitely not expecting to see something like this in a newly-opened playground.

To add insult to injury, this small paying field is adjacent to a restaurant which has opened a window onto the playing field in order to do more business. The counter, however, is only about 50cm off the ground, which can easily lead to children tumbling over it, not to mention the iron windows opened into the playing field, another possible hazard for children using the place.

Do we offer playing fields as a nice, safe place for children to enjoy themselves or as an excuse for people to make money out of them?