‘Health and safety laws have killed off playgrounds’

♦ Children’s playgrounds have become sanitised by the “nanny state” and “snowflake” parents, the grandson of the creator of modern play equipment has warned.

Oliver Wicksteed said that his grandfather Charles, who is credited with inventing swings and slides in the early 20th century, would have disapproved of the preoccupation with health and safety guidelines.

Mr Wicksteed, who is chairman of the Wicksteed Charitable Trust, is attempting to track down oldfashioned Twenties slides, merry-gorounds and see-saws and then restore them to full working use. The creation of a traditional playground is being funded by a grant of £1.89million from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

“Charles would have rebelled against the ‘snowflake generation’ and ‘nanny state’ which will mean that many of the playground attractions will have to be modified or fitted with extra safety measures,” Mr Wickstead said. “Our aim is to rediscover these attractions and interpret them in a way that is exciting and challenging for children, but is also safe and educates people about the origins of modern playgrounds.”

Mr Wickstead said that his grandfather “would have fought tooth and nail” against any regulations which he thought were unnecessary.

“If you look at the photographs of the original equipment, they are full of people doing things which they may not be allowed to do today, but risk is a part of life and they were all having great fun,” he said.

“We have to be careful that modern play doesn’t become too sanitised because of the modern claims culture and over-protective parents preventing their children doing anything stimulating or exciting.”

Mr Wickstead is appealing to anyone who has old-fashioned play equipment made by his grandfather to come forward.