A NEW £70,000 skate park for Burnley could coincide with a by-law banning boarders from the town centre.

Burnley Council's executive board agreed to proposals to develop a facility in Queen's Park after more than 250 young skaters in the town said it would be the best site.

But Coun Robert Frost said a by-law should follow the building of the new facility to bar skaters from the town centre bandstand on St James's Street where they regularly congregate.

Nearby traders have backed the call saying the young skaters present a risk to the safety of shoppers.

Coun Frost said: "This new park will hopefully end the use of the bandstand. A by-law is something the council could then consider doing in the town centre.

"The bandstand is a major problem for lots of people."

The suggestion for a by-law banning skaters follows a move by Liverpool City Council which this week agreed to ban skateboarders from the centre.

Bristol and Bath have also used the model by-laws introduced by the Home Office to prohibit skate-boarding in specific public places.

The £70,000 skate park will be built on one of the six tennis courts at Queen's Park.

Meetings with nearby residents, park users and youngsters are due to take place with concerns over the impact of the site already being raised by the Friends of Thompson and Queen's Park.

Young skaters told the council in questionnaires that they wanted a range of jumps that could challenge both the beginner and the experienced skater. They also wanted a site that felt safe and Queen's Park fitted the bill.

But Lisa Durkin, Burnley's town centre manager, is sceptical about whether the new park site is the answer.

She said: "I don't think the new site will solve the problem. The youngsters like to hang around McDonald's and the town centre because it is 'cool'.

"The bandstand on St James's Street has been promoted on web sites as one of the best places to skate around here."

Michelle Brown, owner of Oliver Twist's Sandwich Deli opposite the bandstand, said: "The by-law is a good idea and it will be better for the skaters if they have somewhere purpose-built."

And Rob Teague, owner of The Car Shop in St James's Street, said: "I feel it is only a matter of time before they injure somebody here.

"The park is a nice idea but even with a by-law in place, there is no guarantee they will obey it."