Teenager hit by falling bandstand pole

Mark Watkins, 17, of Gensing Road, was sitting on the bandstand with friends on Sunday evening when the bar fell.

Mark said: "It hit me on top of the head and I had to go to the Conquest Hospital.

"I had five stitches in my head.

"That bandstand is dangerous and needs to be pulled down. If the bar had hit a child it could have killed them."

The council considers the remains of the building to be dangerous and wants to replace the bandstand with grass.

The council will pull the bandstand down at a cost of 10,000 if the Secretary of State grants permission.

A council spokesman said: "Our officers are

investigating the incident and will be in contact with the boy and his family to help fill in the report.

We will be inspecting the bandstand and assessing its overall safety, in the short-term and long-term."