Lancaster City Council has been asked by its insurers to take immediate action to improve the safety of its play facilities or remove them if that is not possible.

And the authority says it simply cannot afford to upgrade all the play areas which need work.

One of the main problems is that some of its 74 play areas do not have special safety surfacing to soften the blow when a child falls.

If it does not act, the council could run the risk of insurers refusing to pay out when someone sues the authority following an accident.

Since April 2006, it has had to cough up more than £73,000 in compensation relating to 10 accidents at its play areas.

The council has reviewed safety at all its facilities following the insurer's letter and is now compiling the results. Play areas in Ambleside Road, Ridge, which has a grass surface, at Arcon House in Scotforth and at Green Street in Bulk ward are among those which could be affected. But Bulk ward councillor, John Whitelegg, said he suspected the insurer's warning was a case of 'health and safety gone bonkers'.

"I agree you should not have concrete surfaces but I can't see what is wrong with grass," he said.

"Are we going to say 'no more grass at Williamson Park' or put signs up there saying, 'No playing on the grass'?

Coun Whitelegg said he would fight any moves to close the Green Street facility, but recognised that it needed improving. "It is in an area of terraced housing where families do not have gardens for their children and there are no alternatives nearby," he said.

As the Lancaster Guardian went to press, councillors were being asked at their monthly meeting to agree to a review which would reduce the number of play areas.

In a report, head of financial services, Nadine Muschamp said: "Given that the council has around 70 sites, it is considered neither practical nor affordable for all play areas to be upgraded. Therefore, any that are not upgraded (and do not meet required standards) will need to be decommissioned."

The council has budgeted to spend £60,000 on improving play areas according to priority in each of the next two years, with another £50,000 a year for minor maintenance. It has spent £137,000 on improvements at 12 high priority play areas since 2006.