PEOPLE living in a village near Worcester have complained after a £10,000 zip wire was installed at a nearby playground.

The neighbours live in five homes which overlook the play area in Lower Ferry Lane, Callow End.

They say they were not consulted about the play equipment, which they have slammed as an eyesore, and say it is incredibly noisy.

At a Powick Parish Council meeting, councillors expressed their outrage at the £10,000 zip wire being installed without their consent.

Despite part-funding the project with Callow End Playing Fields Association, councillors said they were not consulted about its location.

Coun Evelyn Birch said: “This wire could not only have a detrimental effect on the village but on this council as well.

“It has been put up right in front of these houses and there could be a lot of trouble and a lot of noise when it’s in use.

“The problem is that we were not consulted about its position and this should have and could have been avoided. We were at fault for not asking about it and there are so many alternatives where it could have gone.

“It could backfire on us because it should have been our responsibility to check its location. If I lived in those houses, I would be annoyed as well.”

The council agreed to discuss the prospect of moving the wire to another location in the park with the playing fields association.

However, after the meeting, county and district councillor for Powick Tom Wells said: “The problem has been resolved. As far as I know the wire isn’t going to be moved, but the playing fields association has agreed to consult local residents before anything further takes place on the field in the future.”

Callow End Playing Fields Association secretary Jan Brant said: “We have now spoken to the residents who were concerned about the equipment and they said that they would like some extra shrubs in their garden to reinforce the screen there, which we will pay for.

“We have also agreed on their recommendation that we will put a notice of any future developments on the notice board in the playing fields so if there are any further concerns, we can sort them out in the planning stages.”