Anger after council refuses to replant daffodils in play park over 'health and safety' fears

A council has been called “ridiculous” after it refused to replant daffodils in a play park over health and safety fears.

St Blaise Town Council in Cornwall said it would not replace the flowers in Daffodil Walk at the Old Roselyon Play Area when they die because they're "poisonous".

Residents have branded the decision “crazy” and “bewildering”.

A spokesman for Roselyon Play Park Committee said: “Are they going to put signs up saying don’t eat the daffodils next? This is totally bonkers.

''There have always been daffs in the park. It used to be an old orchard and there must have been about 1,000 flowers.”

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Part of the park usually is so populated with flowers it has been nicknamed Daffodil Walk.

Residents said last month during the mini heatwave the park "looked beautiful in yellow in the golden sunshine".

They expressed their anger over the decision on social media, with one person writing: “This is the most ridiculous actions from a town council I’ve ever heard of.

"Let’s get rid of all the bees and wasps, let’s make sure no one ever gets stung my a stinging nettle, let’s cut down all trees."

Another local posted: "What an absolute idiotic thing to do.

"Let’s not help our wildlife and just kill the human race in that way. Someone needs sacking 😡."

But one added: "Daffodils are also poisonous to dogs, even my mutt has the common sense not to eat them."

A spokesman for South West Health Protection Unit did confirm the toxicity of daffodils, adding: “Daffodils are toxic and severe vomiting and diarrhoea can occur if eaten by mistake.

"Although very unpleasant, most people will recover fully without treatment.”

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St Blaise Town Council said it acted after recent play park inspection training.

A spokesman said: “After recent play inspection training we were advised not to have daffodils in play areas as all parts of the daffodil can be poisonous.

"I brought this to the attention of the town council who said no more daffs should be planted but those that were there before the land was devolved to us would stay.

"The daffs are sporadic over a grassed area and once the flowers have died the grass will be cut.”