FAMILIES are pleading with councillors to throw out a proposal to rip up more than half of their play areas when they meet today.

Members of Wear Valley District Council will decide whether to back officers' recommendations to cut the number of playgrounds from 55 to 26 at a community services committee meeting.

After a review of safety and maintenance practices, officers say the council can only afford to inspect and maintain 26 playgrounds to British Standards' requirements.

The council is expected to offer communities who lose play areas a lifeline if local groups and parish councils will adopt responsibility for sites in their neighbourhood.

Councillor Harry Irwin, chairman of Stanhope Parish Council which could lose its Bondisle playground, said he was "thoroughly disgusted" by the proposals. He said: "It is a big blow for Weardale, particularly to the children."

Grandmother Carol Pattinson, of Daddry Shield, has organised a petition against the closure of the village's site.

But the problem is not un-ique to Wear Valley. Local authorities across the region are being forced to shut smaller and older playgrounds.

Derwentside District Council has been in the process of slashing the number of its playgrounds from 56 to 15 for more than two years, creating four "super parks" and a series of smaller improved play areas.

In Darlington, the borough council has a £180,000 scheme to improve parks - most recently work began on a new play area at Eastbourne Park.

A council spokesman said: "Equipment has been taken out on several sites where it presents health and safety dangers, but new funding opportunities are being accessed to replace it, or provide an alternative."

But some authorities are refusing to close any play areas.

A representative of Hartlepool Borough Council said: "Closure is simply not on the agenda for this council. We have also recently appointed a play area inspector to visit our 15 sites daily, Monday to Friday, to check for safety and cleanliness."

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council pledged to spend £1m modernising its 21 children's playgrounds and, with added investment, every site has had safer surfaces installed and its major sites have at least eight new pieces of equipment.

David Yearley, play safety manager for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, said if councils could not afford to maintain play areas they should be closed.

"I've seen the increasing pressure on council budgets and something has to give. We would prefer to see fewer play areas if it means those remaining are better and safer."