Abu Dhabi: Children playing at a municipal park in Al Rowdah in Abu Dhabi are causing sleepless nights for residents in the area.
Jeremy Weeks, a long-time British resident of a building opposite the park, told XPRESS: “The rules state that the park is open till 10pm. But only the lights are switched off and the park is not locked, so kids freely enter the park and play football till 1am.”
He said on one occasion, a ball smashed the windows of his ground floor apartment, following which he was forced to install a window grill. “But we continue to have balls landing in the building with requests to hand them back to the players.”
When XPRESS visited the place, a football could be seen stuck between two pillars in the building’s façade.
Weeks said like some residents, he too had spent good money to install the window grill. “The landlord was very supportive, but I spent Dh1,800 from my own pocket to secure my windows.”
Another tenant in the area said, “Children must be supervised at all times. In fact, the notice in the park makes that clear. But there is no warden or parent stopping these kids from playing at night.”
Weeks said: “On the one hand, I praise the municipality for giving us such a good facility in the neighbourhood. On the other, there should be more consideration for residents. They should make sure entry to the park is closed at 10pm. Topping the fence around the play area with an angled barrier would also help.”
