A CAMPAIGN to install soft play surfacing underneath all play equipment in every playground in the country could be adopted by the Liberal Democrats at their regional party conference on Saturday.

Lib Dem Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for North West Leeds David Hall-Matthews is putting forward a motion which proposes that councils always repair and replace defective equipment, rather then removing it, which is what Leeds City Council are doing now.

He is also calling for a manifesto

commitment to new legislation which will require all play areas to be installed with impact absorbing playground surfacing.

Mr Hall-Matthews said: "It is unacceptable that councils like Leeds are reducing the already inadequate amenities for children in urban areas and failing to address the key

dangers of hard surfaces beneath play equipment."

The motion is being proposed as a result of pressure from safety campaigner Ian Burks of Cookridge, who is also attending the conference. He said he hoped the motion would be taken on board and added that he was hoping to meet Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy about his campaign.

Mr Burks added that the Health and Safety at Work act 1974, which covers children's play areas, makes no requirement that they should

have safe impact absorbing surfaces and

offers little enforcement or guarantee of compliance with minimum safety standards in general.