Children in Dorchester are ‘crying out’ for a new sports area as they are forced to play in the road.

Members of Dorchester Town Council’s management committee is pushing to speed along an estimated £110,000 project to create a new sports arena opposite Dorset County Hospital, amid worries for children’s health and safety in the area.

The plan is to create a Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) facility with an outdoor court, with a possible play area alongside.

Members of the committee offered support for the idea when it was first proposed in June 2015.

The suggested plans look to build the court in the Mountain Ash Road, Prospect Road and Hawthorn Road area.

The council has already set aside allotments on Hawthorn Road as a potential location for the games area.

In a management committee meeting held last week, members of the public were invited to speak.

Simon Scotchmer, a Dorchester resident, said: “It’s great to see that some research is being done and some allotments are being put aside. I’d really like it to speed along.

“The problem is still the same, in Prospect Road the gardens are on a slope, so children can’t play in their gardens and they are crying out for a proper place to play.

“They are playing at the end of the road and in car parks trying to kick a ball around.

“I’m really concerned about the next generation of children and how healthy they’re going to be. We need to try and make children take active choices, but if we don’t provide areas for them to be active then as a community we are failing.”

Cllr Fiona Kent-Ledger agreed with Mr Scotchmer's comments.

She said: "Having lived in Prospect Road, I do know what it's like and it's terrible. I'm surprised a child hasn’t been run over yet."

Steve Newman, deputy town clerk. highlighted that the project has not yet been allocated any funding by the council.

There are suggestions that grant money from Sport England may be available, however it has not been confirmed.

The snap general election has delayed council talks on planning what it will do with some areas under its ownership, and a decision on the sports arena could be pushed back until September.