Play equipment has no place in shared garden

Sheryl Day has been a tenant in Western Way, Sandy for the last nine years. Until early this year she had play equipment in the communal garden she shares with other residents.

But in March Sheryl – who lives with her 16-year-old daughter Talena – received a letter from the Aldwyck Housing Association saying that the equipment needed to be removed.

She said: “We have had the seesaw and slide there all that time and it has been great for Talena to use – then all of a sudden they write to me and say they don’t have public liability insurance and it needs to be moved.

“Then a few days later I had a knock on the door and an officer was there asking me when I was going to move it. I don’t really understand it as there are very few people who use the garden and there is very little danger.”

A spokesman for Aldwyck Housing Association said: “Our insurers have advised us that if anyone were to injure themselves by using the slide or seesaw we would be held liable. Our insurance policy does not cover other people’s play equipment on our premises as we are unable to accept responsibility for its ongoing maintenance and safety.”