Playing fields left 'a quagmire' after funfair

The Level has been damaged by a fun fair, a head teacher says

Children have lost the only green space where they were able to practise football after land in Brighton was churned up by a funfair, a head teacher says.

Damien Jordan, the head teacher of the city's Fairlight Primary and Nursery School, said that pupils could previously only practice at an area called The Level.

He said the green space had been left a muddy "quagmire" for the second time this school year, preventing young footballers from using the space.

Brighton & Hove City Council said its green areas were for all residents, but that it had been "particularly unlucky with the weather". Festival Fun Fairs has been approached for comment.

Mr Jordan emailed the council – and praised his pupils for reaching the finals of the Sussex Schools Brighton Cup.

He said: “Not bad for an inner-city school with no playing fields."

Mr Jordan said in the email that The Level looked like a scene from the World War One film War Horse.

He added: “The fair being on The Level means the local community have little if any access to the grass facilities for several weeks at different points of the year."

'More mud'

The council said it understood the concerns about the "current condition" of the ground at The Level.

“We have been particularly unlucky with the weather this year and we have more mud than we would usually expect," the council added.

"We will be working to improve the surface as quickly as possible. We believe it is important for our open spaces to continue to reflect the needs and aspirations of all our residents."

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