THIEVES are putting children's lives at risk by stealing fencing from the side of a busy road.

Highways officials believe the metal mesh panels may be being stolen from the side of one of the region's busiest dual carriageways to make animal pens and chicken runs.

Three times in the last three years, the fences which separate the A19 sliproad at Seaton, in County Durham, from an open space where young children play have been taken.

The most recent theft was in March, when 80 metres of the fence were taken from the site near Haverley Drive.

Now Durham County Council, which has replaced the fencing each time, is asking the thieves to think about the consequences of what they are doing.

Stuart Clasper, the council's environmental co-ordinator (Open Spaces), said: "Obviously there is a cost to the council of replacing the fence, but it is the associated risk to the children using the land that we are most concerned about.

"They regularly use the area to play ball games and whenever the panels are removed there is nothing to prevent them wandering through the gap or trying to retrieve a stray ball if it was kicked in the direction of the road."

The lightweight weld-mesh panels have little scrap value, but can be used in building animal pens.

The council is now in talks with Durham Police to try to find a long-term solution to the problem.

Anyone with information about the thefts is asked to contact police on 0345 6060365.