JUNIOR cricket could be wiped out by tough new child protection regulations, officials at one North-East club have warned.

Barningham Cricket Club, in Teesdale, County Durham, believes new child protection regulations, which include criminal background checks, are putting off volunteers willing to help with the junior game.

However, the Durham County Cricket Board has said it wants to encourage people into cricket and the regulations are there to protect young people and the cricket clubs themselves.

Each cricket club in the county now has to appoint a welfare officer who will implement the English Cricket Board's (ECB) Safe Hands child protection policy.

All adult members of cricket clubs who have regular contact with children must also have Criminal Records Bureau checks.

Dave Moore, the chairman of Barningham CC, has said the paperwork involved is putting people off junior cricket.

He said: "I think the ECB have gone completely over the top.

"All we want to do is be left alone and get kids into cricket who wouldn't normally be given the chance to play cricket.

"It's getting harder and harder to get volunteers.

"This is just a village cricket club and it's been run for years without any problems. We don't want to be dictated to by people at Durham county."

William Wilkinson, club secretary for 32 years and a player for 43 years, added: "Nobody will be prepared to be a junior welfare officer because of the responsibility that it will entail."

John Crockatt, the child welfare officer for the Durham Cricket Board, said the Safe Hands policy was implemented by the English Cricket Board. All clubs affiliated to the ECB or Durham County Cricket Board would have to follow it.

The welfare officer would have to go on two three-hour courses and would act to ensure that if any child protection issues arose they would be dealt with in the proper manner.

The policy would also protect clubs, as if a child protection claim was made against a club and it did not have an adequate policy in place it might not be covered by insurance.

Mr Crockatt said: "I don't think we're putting a burden on clubs, the majority have accepted it.

"I think there's a lot of sceptics and it's nowhere near as involved as many people think."