CRITICS of a proposed skate park for Hanwell have gone on the offensive and presented a petition to Ealing Southall MP Virendra Sharma.

This month Ealing Council announced it will apply for planning permission for the skate site, earmarked for Elthorne Park, following a consultation which indicated popular support.

But opponents say it will be a magnet for anti-social behaviour and have an adverse impact on the surroundings.

Mr Sharma last week accepted a petition from 504 Elthorne Park residents demanding that the skate park be built on a brownfield site rather than on a greenfield area.

Carolyn Brown, chair of Hanwell Community Forum, said: "We believe that we should be protecting our green spaces.

"We have supported the desire for a skate park for Ealing's young people all along, and believe that the council already owns derelict or unused brownfield sites which are more central to the Borough.

"It also has better transport links, facilities such as public toilets, and has a higher passing footfall for casual observation and better security than Elthorne Park does."

Elthorne Park High School also criticised the proposal in a recent newsletter.

Margaret Majumdar, chair of governors said: "It is naive to think that the skate park would not be a distraction, and it would have a negative impact on the education of students."

Yet Piers Leigh, who is spearheading the campaign for the skatepark, said: "I'm very disappointed that Mr Sharma has chosen to make a political issue out of what is a local issue.

"I'm also mystified as to why the voice of those in oppposition is being given so much attention as it is not reflective of the views of local people. I have been running a website for two years and Mr Sharma has not been in touch once.

"I would welcome the chance to speak to him because what we're dealing with here is misrepresentation."

Mr Sharma was not available for comment at the time of going to press.