CHILDREN have been deprived of their playground which has been padlocked because their parents cannot afford to pay rising insurance premiums.

The situation in the Ryedale village of Hovingham is repeated elsewhere in the county, where insurance companies have raised premiums by hundreds of pounds.

Kate Asquith, a mother and member of the committee which helped provide the playground, said the premium had risen from £100, when it was opened eight years ago, to £1,000.

A chain and lock has been put on the gate and a notice put up, advising parents why the playground has been temporarily closed until the insurance issue can be resolved.

Timber equipment costing £7,500 has been provided for the playground and the Hovingham Estate has helped by letting the committee have the site for a peppercorn rent.

A spokesman for the York and North Yorkshire Playing Fields Association, said: "We understand that a number of villages have been hard hit by a sharp rise in insurance premiums for their playgrounds. It is a serious situation because it is the youngsters who are losing out. But playground associations and parish councils which run play areas in some cases, cannot afford to operate them without insurance cover because of the risk of litigation should there be an accident."