Now that the school summer holidays are well underway, Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes are warning youngsters in Rutland and Leicestershire about the dangers of playing on building sites.

New homes developments under construction may look like exciting places to explore, but the developers are warning children and their parents that they can be extremely hazardous. Each new community features public open spaces; some with play areas, which act as designated safe spaces for young residents to enjoy away from construction traffic.

John Reddington, Managing Director at David Wilson Homes East Midlands, said: "Developers like ourselves are building more new homes at sites all over the country, but until they are completed these places can be dangerous."

Mark Cotes, Managing Director at Barratt and David Wilson Homes North Midlands, said: "Whilst we do watch out for youngsters during the day and secure our developments at night, we would like to ask parents to ensure the safety of their children during the holidays, especially if they live near an active building site."

Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes host site visits for local children when possible, and holds regular safety talks for schools close to wherever it is building new homes to encourage site safety and highlight the hazards of playing on or near construction sites.

To combat the pandemic's challenges of not being able to invite school pupils to its developments to learn about site safety, the leading housebuilders have created a series of interactive videos for children to be educated virtually.

Three videos have been created for pupils in Reception to Year 6, each of which highlight the dangers of construction sites with the help of Safety Steve. One of the videos, aimed at children in Years 3 and 4, can be viewed online.

Videos have been sent to schools up and down the country and, after completing the site safety experience, the pupils have received certificates and been given a range of activities to complete to showcase what they had learned.

For information about any nearby developments, please call the Barratt Homes sales team on 0333 355 8472 or the David Wilson Homes sales team on 0333 355 8483.

Alternatively, you can visit www.barratthomes.co.uk or www.dwh.co.uk.