Cops’ appeal as kids put their lives at risk

Mar 6 2008 By Gary Fanning

POLICE this week warned children are dicing with danger by climbing on school building sites in Larkhall.

Youngsters are putting their lives at risk by playing on the building of new Robert Smillie Memorial Primary School and Craigbank Primary School in Strutherhill.

Police have been called out to a spate of incidents across the town and have found children playing on construction sites.

And now police are urging youngsters to keep away from building sites and to play safe.

They warn that construction sites are out of bounds and anyone found within could face criminal charges.

Work began last year on the new £6m Craigbank Primary School.

The school in Glengonnar Street is expected to be complete by July and pupils and staff will move in after the summer holidays.

As part of the council’s schools modernisation programme, a brand new school will replace the existing Robert Smillie Memorial Primary School and will be built on the present school site.

The new school will be built alongside the existing school, meaning there will be no need for children to be decanted.

The pupils will simply stay in the existing school until the new building is complete and then transfer across. The old school will then be demolished.

The school is expected to be complete by next year.

Community Constable David Lang, of Larkhall Police office, has urged parents to warn kids about the dangers of going into building sites.

He added: “Children have been using the buildings and building sites as playground outwith school hours with the utter disregard for their own safety.

“At times they have caused damage to expensive machinery and materials.

“I would urge parents to talk to their kids about the dangers involved.

“It must be stressed that entering building sites and climbing on school buildings is very dangerous to children and the emergency services who are called out to assist anyone getting stuck or injured.”

l Last month the Advertiser reported how children were dicing with death by deliberately walking in front of moving traffic in a new craze.

Youngsters were putting their lives at risk by strolling into the middle of the road while cars are zooming past.

Pupils were forcing the driver to break suddenly and there were some near misses in Machan Road and in the main street while pupils walked home from Larkhall Academy.

Other similar incidents had taken place in Strutherhill’s Glen Avenue.

Residents said they feared that it was only a matter of time before a child was killed or injured.