CHILDREN in the Bromsgrove area are in safe hands thanks to the district council which has become the first local authority in the country to send its staff on a new course.

Bromsgrove District Council's 17 play area minders who carry out daily inspections of the council's 30 sites will attend the new accredited training courses.

It is run by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) and the National Playing Fields Association (NPFA).

It covers subjects including legal aspects and responsibilities, inspection frequency and how to find faults, as well as techniques and methods for examining equipment.

The authority's land and recreation development manager, Rob Heard, said: "We take health and safety very seriously, especially where staff training and play facilities are concerned.

"Bromsgrove is one of the very few authority's in the country to operate a minder system and the course will enable our staff to stay up-to-date with all aspects of their job."

Each day the inspectors check the play areas' equipment and surfacing, and help to keep them clean and tidy.

Further monthly inspections are carried out by the council's direct services team and a full technical inspection, and a risk assessment, is undertaken by the authority on an annual basis.