St Albans playground 'mobbed' after lockdown opening

A new £250,000 Roman-themed playground has been criticised on social media for opening during England's lockdown.

The attraction at Verulamium Park in St Albans opened in line with government guidance on outdoor playgrounds during the pandemic, the council said.

A Facebook post said it had been "mobbed" with some users "horrified" by the number of visitors there.

The council said it would monitor the situation and remind people of their responsibilities "if necessary".

The new facility stands on the site of Verulamium, which was the third largest city in Roman Britain.

It was designed to reflect the city's history, including a Roman-style theatre and basilica, a Roman-numeral hopscotch and a main pathway named Watling Street, which was one of the main Roman roads.

Plans for a launch event were cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic as it was "likely to have attracted a large crowd", the council said.

But a soft launch on Wednesday still proved popular.

One Facebook user said: "Surely it would have been sensible to open it not during lockdown. I know children can play, but it must have been expected lots of people would turn up as soon as it was opened."

Another said: "I've just walked past whilst doing my walking, and was horrified at the amount of people there."

Others supported the opening, with one saying: "So what you're all saying is, it's perfectly ok for the kids to be sat in a classroom together all day but they can't enjoy being outdoors with other children..."

A spokesman for St Albans District Council said it had been "an immediate success" and the response to it had been "overwhelmingly positive".

Councillor Anthony Rowlands said: "The play area is providing young children with fun outdoor activity during the lockdown which is good for their physical and mental health at this difficult time...

"We ask that visitors will make use of all the space to observe social distancing as well as take other precautions such as washing their hands before and afterwards.

"Our parks team will be monitoring the playground and will remind parents and carers of their responsibilities if that proves necessary."

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