Reports shared with the council show some people in Stevenage are ignoring the closure of play areas, despite coronavirus cases being too high to safely reopen them.

Last month we reported that play areas in Stevenage were set to be shut for at least four weeks, as hospitals in the area struggled to cope with the surge in coronavirus cases.

Four weeks later, and Stevenage Borough Council has confirmed that play parks will be closed for a further fortnight, as COVID-19 infections in the town mean it is not safe to reopen them at present.

This news follows the council revealing there have been reports of people climbing over fences and ignoring closed signs on play areas in the town.

A spokeswoman for SBC said: "We’re sorry as we know it’s difficult, but we’ve done this to help keep our residents safe and to stop Lister Hospital from becoming overwhelmed.

"Unfortunately we’ve had reports of people climbing over fences and ignoring the signs on play areas that say they are closed in order to use them – please do not do this. It’s not fair on other families who are following the rules, and rates are still high in Stevenage."