PARENTS have been warned that a set of ornamental gates erected in Blackburn town centre could seriously injure their children.

The three-foot high metal construction has been placed in the middle of the pedestrianised area on Northgate as part of Blackburn with Darwen Council's modernisation and improvement programme.

But the gates, within yards of the Toys and Hobbies shop, leave pieces of metal jutting out at the equivalent of ankle and head height for a child.

Council officials yesterday arranged for sharp edges around the gates to be sanded down after saying that work on them had not been completed.

And further work is due to take place in the next few days to direct pedestrians away from the gates.

Shelley Pull, whose desk at Johnsons The Cleaners overlooks the new gates, said: "As soon as they went up people were walking past and shaking their heads. They had very sharp edges and could have had somebody's eye out."

Susan Marsden, who works at McKay's household linen and drapery shop, added: "My husband saw them and said they were a danger to children who might walk past, especially in the dark." Pedestrians have been equally as critical about the gates, which were put up on Wednesday.

Neil Atherton said: "There are sharp edges which are just at the right height to catch children and to put them outside a toy shop, where you are bound to get as lot of children, is ridiculous."

Bill Haggas, managing director of Mercer's and Toys and Hobbies, said: "I got all the traders in Northgate to object to having these gates in the first place. They are an eyesore and a barrier. The whole principle was wrong but now they are up they don't feel particularly safe.

"They are a danger in the middle of the road and could injure a child or anyone else for that matter."

Local schoolchildren helped design the gates, which were erected by artists Michael Johnson and Hilary Cartmell, who have 15 years' experience of designing public art.

A similar set of gates in Town Hall Street are about three times as high.

A spokeswoman for Blackburn with Darwen Council said: "Work is still continuing on the two sets of gates and they have not been completed."

She said sanding to remove the the sharp edges was taking place yesterday afternoon and added: "Work to complement the sites, which in Northgate will involve moving bollards to direct pedestrians away from the gates, will take place over the next few days.

"The health and safety inspector has visited the site and is satisfied that these measures will make the gates safe for any reasonable person."

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