UNDER-AGE drinkers are �believed to be responsible for the piles of broken glass in �Huntingdon’s parks which left children and users at risk.

UNDER-AGE drinkers are �believed to be responsible for the piles of broken glass in �Huntingdon’s parks which left children and users at risk.

Jo Haddock said she was forced to cut short a family trip on Sunday after discovering broken glass in three of the town’s play areas.

Mrs Haddock, of Bradshaw Close, said glass from broken wine and vodka bottles covered the soft play area and play equipment at a park between �California Road and Sallowbush Road.

She then took her sons to a play area at the rear of St John’s Primary School, but was faced with the same problem.

After finding more broken glass and beer bottles in Coneygear Park, the family decided to head home.

Mrs Haddock is calling for the parks to be made no alcohol zones.

She said: “My youngest has got special needs. He was born 12 weeks premature and is prone to falling over. The last thing I want is for my lad to fall on glass.

“At the ‘spider park’, there was glass on the soft tarmac and every bit of play equipment, apart from the slide. There was glass on every bit of the roundabout. It was absolutely covered.

“At Coneygear Park there was one chap walking his dog. On the path there was broken glass everywhere. It is not just children who are in danger.

“I’m assuming it’s young teenagers. All the money being invested for the youngsters and these older kids are doing this. It defeats the object of having a soft play area.”

William Cuthbert was so appalled by “a sea of glass” left in Kings Ripton park on Monday, that he and friends attempted their own clear-up.

Mr Cuthbert, 19, a student at Huntingdonshire Regional College said: “It looks like the glass was systematically smashed. It was all around the play equipment and around the bottom of everything.

“This little girl was trying to play and all around the floor was glass. Another couple of kids came down and one was walking in flip flops.

“I went over to my house and grabbed a broom. We did the best we could, but it was so hard to clear up.”

John Craig, service development manager for Huntingdonshire District Council, which maintains Coneygear Park, said workers inspect the site and play equipment twice a week.

He said officers had received no reports of broken glass, but he urged concerned parents to notify the authority if they came across any.

He said: “If we know about it, we can deal with it.

“We inspect regularly and if something happens at the weekend, we would pick it up.

“We cannot inspect seven days a week because of the cost. Twice a week seems reasonable.

“There are plenty of bins and we ask people to use them and not to break glass. It is bad enough anywhere but it’s particularly so in a children’s area.“