YOUNGSTERS in Congresbury are at risk of being run down on a busy road or drowning in a rhyne while playing.

YOUNGSTERS in Congresbury are at risk of being run down on a busy road or drowning in a rhyne while playing.

The village's Youth Partnership and the parish council are trying to find the funds to increase the height of the ball court fence off Bristol Road before a nasty accident happens.

The facility, with a rhyne at one end and the busy main road at the other, is popular with youngsters in the village. But often when they are playing games, because the fence is not tall enough, the balls go over the top, resulting in children and teenagers going after them at their peril.

Congresbury Youth Partnership chairman, Ian Shepherd, is asking parents of young people who use the ball court to put their hands in their pockets and put some cash towards the £2,400 needed to heighten the fence and so make the area safer.

Mr Shepherd is also looking into securing grants from various organisations to help pay for the work.

He said: "When it was built the fence only stood at 2.4m and we want to increase it to 4m.

"This will hopefully stop balls going out of the court at either end and stop the dangers posed by youngsters following them to get them back.

"People have to go out into the road at the moment, particularly during busy times of the day.

"If the work goes ahead it will involve putting in additional posts and heightening the fence at either end. So far we have raised £600 towards the work."

If anyone wants to make a donation they can log onto www.congsyp.org.uk