THEY are considering spending £1m on a new athletics track to boost fitness levels.

But try telling that to the class of Winchester schoolkids whose games lesson was ordered off public playing fields by the same council's contractors.

St Bede Primary School has been stunned to be evicted from the playing fields it has used since it opened in 1912.

The class from St Bede was on River Park close to the primary school on Monday afternoon when a contractor from Serco arrived and ordered them away.

Dominic Hiscock, chairman of the board of governors at the school, told the Daily Echo it was amazing that Serco had ousted the children from an organised class with a teacher.

Mr Hiscock, who is also a city councillor, said: "The Serco man threw them out. He said every user has to pay and there has to be insurance. There has been no prior consultation with the school."

He said children could informally play but anything organised would incur a charge.

Furious Mr Hiscock added: "I'm absolutely furious about this. It is very serious. It's ironic that when the council is considering spending £1m on an athletics track at Bar End they are evicting children from a local park."

St Bede has no playing field and so has used the public park for generations. If charges are imposed then Mr Hiscock said the school would be severely hit and would have to reconsider its PE policy.

Mr Hiscock said if the council charged £10 a session that would cost the school around £3,000 a year.

All the teachers are fully insured, he said.

Louise Fitzpatrick, headteacher, said: "The school is making further enquiries about the council's policy. In the meantime the council have lifted the restriction and the school is able to continue to use the recreation ground until a meeting is held to discuss the way forward."

In a statement, George Beckett, council leader, said: "The use of North Walls Recreation Ground by St Bede School was brought to the attention of the officer now in charge of sports and recreation, who was not aware of a previous informal arrangement with the school that had allowed them to use the recreation ground for sports activities.