Keep it down kids! Former BBC presenter turns into real-life Victor Meldrew as he puts banner up ordering children in playground to keep the noise down

With a school playground just feet from his garden, Graham Purches says he can hardly hear himself speak.

But despite the squeals and screams of scores of primary pupils, the former BBC presenter found a way to get his views on the noise across loud and clear.

The 68-year-old put up a giant sign demanding that youngsters pipe down. Hanging on the side of his £600,000 house in full view of anyone in the playground, it read: 'Please do not allow the children to scream or shout near our home. Thank you.'

Shhh! Former BBC news presenter has put up a 4ft banner urging schoolchildren to be quiet during break time

Anchor: Mr Purches, now retired, presented local news programmes for the BBC and ITV in the 70s and 80s



He claims he and his wife Charlotte, 59, can barely hear themselves because of noise from the playground only 10ft away.

Mr Purches, who used to host local BBC television news programmes in the 1970s and 1980s, insisted the 4ft-wide poster was a 'very polite' request.

'The last thing we want to do is to stop children enjoying themselves,' he said yesterday at his home in the affluent area of Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol.

'We just don't want a lot of excessive screaming and shouting.' But parents at Elmlea Infants condemned the sign as 'threatening and bullying'.

Sarah Howard-Jones, who has three children at the school, said: 'I was so upset on behalf of the staff and children. All the other parents I have spoken to feel the same.

'What could be more delightful than the sound of children playing? It is for such a limited time, especially with our climate.'

The sign had been up for most of this week but had been taken down by yesterday morning.

Quiet please: Mr Purches and his wife say the poster, which shocked teachers and parents, is no more than a polite notice

Mr Purches and his wife have lived in the house for 28 years and have three grown-up children, two of whom attended the school. Their detached property is much closer to the playground after the school had a £1million revamp.

Mr Purches said he has written to the headteacher and governors several times about various issues, including noise.

He has also asked Bristol City Council to install acoustic fencing but officers said the noise was appropriate for children aged four and five.

The former presenter said: 'The noise level goes over and above 88 decibels at times, which is just ridiculous.

'We can't hear ourselves if we try and have a conversation, speak on the phone or listen to the radio. The school moved the playground from being 85ft away to a mere 10ft away from our windows.'

Catherine Ball, chairman of the governors, said: 'The play space is used during mid-morning playtime and lunchtimes, which is a small part of the day.'







