UK NEWS

ED BALLS: AFTER SCHOOL SPORTS WILL CUT ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR

Thursday January 31,2008

By Nikki Barr for express.co.uk

Comment Speech Bubble Have your say(7)

PUBLIC PARKS should be open later in the evenings so teenagers can spend more time playing tennis or "midnight basketball" after school, Children's Secretary Ed Balls said.

The minister said he wanted councils to end the "no ball games" culture in public spaces and give young people the chance to take part in more sports activities in their free time.

He promised £30 million to build new artificial pitches and install floodlights in sports colleges so games can take place in all weather conditions and at night.

Mr Balls said councils should consider adopting ideas like "midnight basketball", an evening sports scheme that started in the US to cut anti-social behaviour by young people.

Speaking at the Specialist Sports Colleges Conference in Telford, he said: "I'd ask all local authorities to look at the public sports facilities they already provide and make sure they are usable for as long as possible.

"If young people want to play sport after school we should encourage it - not lock the gates or turn off the lights.

"Of course, local authorities have to make sure places are safe and secure. But floodlights can make areas safe for use, and experience shows us that areas which have provided out of hours sporting opportunities have seen a fall in anti-social behaviour."

He promised £30 million over the next three years to improve poor quality playing fields by installing better draining or new surfaces.

The money - for the sports colleges with the most rundown facilities - will also buy floodlit artificial turf pitches and sports halls which will be available for community use.

Mr Balls said: "We have some great sports facilities in schools. But at this time of year some young people find their local pitches are unlit and waterlogged. Even if they do function the gates are locked at sundown."

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PUT THE PARKS OPEN

05.01.09, 2:00am

With regards to this article i think it should go ahead

• Posted by: foxman95 • Report Comment

THIS BLOKE IS A NUTTER

31.01.08, 5:29pm

I am nearly at a loss!!! This man is talking absoulute rot as per usual, Midnight Basketball???? Surely it would be better to have the kids at home and in bed by midnight??? Our youngsters need to be tuaght respect and family values not the finer points of basketball at midnight??? Who is going to supervise such a disaster waiting to happen??? Soon tuen into dens of drug taking and other illegal activities. Another government looney who hasnt got a clue.

• Posted by: Russell42 • Report Comment

AFTER SCHOOL SPORTS WILL CUT ANTI SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR

31.01.08, 1:55pm

Wigan park is open all night because nobody can be bothered to lock the gates, or even close them. The only after school activity in there is dog owners letting dogs foul it up in the dark, and rapists and muggers, some of them are really anti social, and they are in the park, as for midnight basketball, does he not want them to have any sleep before school the next day?

• Posted by: Mike4224 • Report Comment

DROSS

31.01.08, 1:51pm

What a complete and utter t****r this man is does he not realize that the cretins that cause all the mayhem do not go to school so how are they going to stay behind for after school sports. Nu labour have obviously been to clown camp during the Christmas (sorry winterfest) break

• Posted by: Col • Report Comment

?? WHAT ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR?

31.01.08, 12:58pm

How dumb can you get and still breath!!!

This guy truly lives in cloud cuckoo land.

According to Jaci we havnt got any youth problem!!

WORDS JUST FAIL ME!!!!

The complete and utter incompetancy of this complete failure of a government.

• Posted by: concernedBrit • Report Comment