SPORTS mad youngsters from Unsworth are unable to stop the grass from growing under their feet.

Until last year children regularly played sports on a small area of land at Sunnybank Wood, preferring football and cricket past-times.

However, this year young users found their path blocked by knee length grass because Bury Council let the area grow unchecked.

Mr David Gibbons of Hillsborough Drive, Unsworth, said: "The land is popular with local children for sports use yet Bury Council has not cut the grass here for the last 12 months.

"It is knee-high and the children risk losing their footballs in the grass or are unable to see the wickets.

"I cannot understand why the local authority has allowed this to happen."

However, Mr Martin Hall of the Council's competitive services department explained that in Sunnybank Wood, the area has various grass-cutting requirements: with a recreation area mown 16 times a year, a tree-planting area trimmed occasionally and a site of biological importance which is never touched.

"In this case I image the children are playing in the biologically important area," said Mr Hall.

"Sport can still be played in the designated play area."

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