Sydney playground closed after elderly injured by ‘invisible’ trampolines

A newly opened playground in a town in Australia has proved to be a hazard for elderly people, with some locals falling into hard-to-see trampolines that are built into the ground.

The trampolines are so difficult to spot that an elderly man drove straight into one on his mobility scooter, becoming wedged before passers-by were able to extricate him.

The $A1.8 million (£920,000) playground in the Sydney suburb of Cronulla has been plagued with safety issues since it opened late last year.

A little boy fell through the springs of one of the two ground level trampolines almost up to his knees, local reports said.

An elderly lady who fell into one of the trampolines suffered bruises to her face, a broken nose, and a loss of taste and smell.

When the local council covered up the trampolines with metal grids last month, they became so hot in the southern hemisphere summer temperatures that children suffered burns to their bare legs.

"You could have fried an egg" on the metal plates, said Ashleigh Markou, whose three-year-old daughter suffered burns to her legs.

In response to safety concerns, the local authority, Sutherland Shire Council, placed temporary fencing around the trampolines and covered them with wooden plates.

The council insisted the playground, which is divided over two sites at either end of Cronulla's mall and includes a large metal whale tail feature, has been a success and that it was only "a very small minority" who had complained about it.

Sunshades will be installed, and the trampoline design will be improved, a spokesman told the Sydney Morning Herald.

Carol Provan, a councillor, admitted that a few "tweaks" needed to be made.

But Leanne Farmer, a former independent councillor, said: "A council has a duty of care to its residents and its visitors. It's maladministration."