New fad brings rocky horror warning

A seemingly harmless painted rock kids craze has been called out as a potential health and safety hazard.

The fad, which involves painting and hiding rocks in parks and reserves, could spark a blaze if run over by mowers, the Marlborough District Council warns.

Passing trains have been known to cause fires in the tinderdry province, and now the council has warned players, mostly children helped by their parents, that mowers and rocks don’t mix.

The council is also concerned the rocks could flick up and hit someone, reserves and amenities manager Jane Tito said.

And while Marlborough seems alone in its concerns (other Kiwi councils contacted showed none were overly worried), a town in England also considered the rock craze dangerous.

Apparently, the Shrewsbury Town Council warned rocks getting caught up in mowers could cause injuries to people sitting on park benches.

A concerned contractor first alerted the council to the rocks being left in ‘‘unsuitable’’ areas, such as the cricket pitch at Blenheim’s Horton Park.

The message was about making the general public aware of the safety risks, Tito said.

‘‘In the summer... anything can cause a fire.’’

But she stressed the council was not trying to stop people from getting out and hiding rocks.

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