PARENTS have reacted angrily to a mix-up over access to playing fields that meant ambulance staff were unable to get close to injured players.

Barnard Castle Rugby Club was hosting two matches against teams from Redcar Rugby Club, on the Demesnes playing field, Barnard Castle, in County Durham.

An ambulance was called just before noon after a 14-year-old Barnard Castle player injured his ankle.

The ambulance was unable to get to the playing area because of a bollard installed by Teesdale District Council to prevent damage to the field by unauthorised vehicles.

A second ambulance was called about 30 minutes later and it faced the same difficulty.

Keys to remove the bollard are held by Barnard Castle police and Teesdale Leisure Centre, but not by the ambulance service, as the club had believed.

Barnard Castle Rugby Club chairman Don Raper said: "We did have incidents that ambulances had to attend and, unfortunately, the lads concerned had to be carried on a stretcher to the back of the ambulance.

"This was the first match since the bollard was put in place. We were under the assumption that the ambulance service had access to a key, otherwise we would have made it our first priority to get one.

"There is a key kept at the police station, which was closed at the time, and one kept at Teesdale Leisure Centre. In future we will make sure we have one before any games take place.

"It was fortunate that this wasn't a serious incident but, nevertheless, we are sorry about the mix up."

One parent, who did not wish to be named, said: "It was ridiculous, nobody seemed to know what was going on and who had a key.

"I don't know what would have happened if someone had been seriously injured."

A concerned mother said: "There must be a better solution to this problem - it is putting young peoples lives at risk. It was a fiasco."

Chris Thomlinson, head of street care at Teesdale District Council, said: "Regardless of the fact they did not have the key, it does not change the fact that vehicles were parked illegally in front of the locked gate anyway."

A spokesperson for the ambulance service said: "We do not take any keys, even when we are offered them it would be impractical to do so.

"If the keys were kept at one station, and the next available crew is coming from another, they can't be expected to go and pick them up on their way."