A DAD-of-four hopes new park benches will help reduce the amount of broken glass in a children’s play area on the estate where he lives.

Andy Jones has pushed Warndon Parish Council to invest in a bench set to draw teenagers and others who congregate in Trotshill Field to drink alcohol at night away from the play equipment.

He said while those responsible are not necessarily smashing bottles, they are often left strewn around or fall out of the over-flowing bins.

The 32-year-old, of Warndon Villages, said his children have been cut by bits of broken glass multiple times because the “one place that has benches” where drinkers meet is so close to where the popular playground is.

“This year has been quite good with youth but you never know what next year’s going to be like,” he told a meeting last week.

“I think part of the problem is they don’t have anywhere to go. My children were cut again this year and I know another person whose child got cut on broken glass and that’s always going to happen with kids.

“If we could put a bench set somewhere that’s out of the way it would be really beneficial for the main children’s parks.”

Following the meeting, Mr Jones said as a youth he also drank in parks with friends, away from playgrounds, but over the years public recreational spaces have been drastically reduced creating the issue.

“A couple of years ago I was really annoyed. There was lots of broken glass. It gets in between the wood chips.”

He said one of his children cut themselves trying to put a piece of glass in the bin.

Speaking at the meeting, Councillor Robyn Norfolk said: “This is a topic close to my heart.”

At a previous meeting, a local walking group had proposed extra benches be put around the Villages as many of their members need regular rests while out.

The councillor proposed setting up a bench strategy policy similar to one St Peter’s Parish Council “are in the throws of or have already implemented” and set up a small working group to decide where new benches could go.

“I think the parish could put its hands in its pockets and stump up a couple of grand for a couple of benches in a couple of locations,” he said.

Councillor Dawn Merriman said she had been involved in placing a new bench by Warndon Woods a few years ago and was keen to join the working group.

Former councillor and interim clerk Ray Morris said: “Just be careful where you put them because if they are not in the open they do get vandalised. The more out in the open the better.”

He said there used to be around a dozen recycled benches which were maintained by rangers, though they no longer operate. Mr Jones also proposed bigger bins to prevent litter spillage and a table tennis table to be installed.