Let children play in car parks, say health chiefs after hundreds of school sports fields are axed

Government health advisers are calling on local councils to use 'non-traditional settings' to raise children's activity levels.

But the proposed guidelines caused anger last night because they follow the sell-off of dozens of school and community playing fields.

The Government's health advisers want car parks opened up after hours for children to play in

Around 200 full-size fields have been lost in the past decade and dozens more smaller grounds deemed too small or the wrong shape.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, the NHS drug rationing watchdog, has developed a number of recommendations for increasing physical activity among children. It also has a role in promoting public health. It wants school fields opened before and after school and during weekends and holidays.

Youngsters should be given better access to parks, woodland and common land to 'stimulate their need to explore', its report says. Adults' assumptions that 'the outside is dangerous' should be tackled.

Other proposals - likely to be less popular with children - include getting them to help with the housework and spend less time watching TV.

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The guidance said: 'A sedentary lifestyle is estimated to cause 54,000 premature deaths a year.'

A leading headmaster said the loss of playing fields is a 'quiet scandal'.

Geoffrey Boult, head of Giggleswick School in North Yorkshire, said sell-offs had begun under the Tories but continued under Labour, which at the same time was making it a priority to combat childhood obesity.

'We have a Government which talks about tackling obesity while selling off playing fields,' he said. 'What a double message it seems to be giving.'

The CBI, which represents industry, warned that using car parks could be unsafe and raised fears over vandalism.

The Children's Department said it was 'not in the business' of cutting sports facilities at school. Sales of fields only now went ahead at closed schools or where land was surplus to local needs.