It is a sad state of affairs when parents are banned from being around their own children while they are playing, yet this is where we find ourselves today.

The Lib Dem run Council has made the decision that parents are no longer allowed to play with their children in the play areas and that children must only be monitored by ‘qualified and police vetted play rangers’.

Since when did mothers and fathers become less qualified than a council workers at looking after their own children in the playgorund?

It’s a sick joke. This is a case of creating problems where there are none. Children have been playing safely and happily in these play areas for years. In 99% of cases, it should be up to parents, not the Council, to decide what is or is not safe for their children.

It is time for common sense to prevail. This is just further politically correct nonsense from a Labour Government and a Lib Dem Council, and it is time for it to stop.

The Mayor has since been making ridiculous comparisons, saying “parents don’t stay at school with their kids” (The implication being that they shouldn’t stay with them at the playground). Well Dorothy, you are right. No parent has ever done that nor do they want to. However, parents do want to stay with their own children in playgorunds.  It is something that people enjoy doing and it makes for a stronger community.

What has happened is an insult and utterly dangerous.  To imply that parents are bothersome by whingeing about them “hanging around” is bad enough but to essentially brand all Watford parents as potential paedophiles is truly terrible.  Like with many things this council has done, they have once more failed to handle an issue with common sense, instead insisting on being beholden to the draconian policies this wrong-headed Labour government.