Council workers have been smashing the ice in Glasgow parks as a safety measure to prevent people from skating on frozen ponds.

Parks staff have used hammers to break up ice and in Queen’s Park, heavy machinery was brought in.

The Southside park is regularly used by people when it freezes over with some walking on the ice and others using ice skates and playing ice hockey.

People have been on the iced-over pond this week, as the temperature stayed below freezing for several days.

Glasgow Times:

A Queen’s Park resident watched as a team broke up ice, and said she was disappointed at the council ‘trying to prevent people enjoying’ the frozen pond.

But the council said it is standard practice and necessary as there is no guarantee the ice is safe.

Morna Gourlay contacted George Gillespie, who is the executive director in charge of parks.

She said: “To have a gang of men with sledgehammers attempting to break the ice around the edges of the pond yesterday in a futile attempt to stop skaters having some fun was disappointing enough, but this afternoon's visit by two large lorries with digger attachments has now created more of a danger than there was in the first place.

“Not only have they partially smashed the ice around approximately one-third of the pond edge, but in gathering darkness, this created fissures zig-zagging out into the middle of the pond, posing a threat to the unwary.”

Glasgow Times:

The council said this is done in ponds in city parks to deter people from going on to the ice for their safety and ponds will be monitored daily.

Glasgow Times:

A spokesperson for the council said: “We are very concerned about people going on to frozen water in parks across the city.

“No matter how solid ice might look, no-one can be sure of the stability of any ice and so it is impossible to guarantee that any ice can be used safely.

“As tempting as it might be to do otherwise,  people should not skate, attempt to cross, walk or play on ponds, or any other frozen water.

“Even though very cold weather is forecast, people are urged to stay safe and stay off the ice.

“Signage warning people to keep off the ice has been put up in city parks and staff have also been breaking ice around ponds to make them as inaccessible as possible.”