NEW goalposts in a Cowley recreation ground may have to be moved because they are too close to people’s back gardens.

New play equipment and goalposts were installed as part of a revamp of Ridley Road recreation ground.

But the goalposts were put close to the fence between the recreation ground and Horspath Road – and now residents are finding balls constantly landing in their gardens.

Bob Timbs, Oxford city councillor for the Lye Valley ward, said: “Basically they are wellying the ball as hard as they can and it’s going into the back gardens.

“Then they keep climbing on the fence to get the balls back and people are getting fed up with it.”

Mr Timbs said a number of possible solutions were being discussed, including removing the posts and instead installing a proper football pitch in nearby Horspath Road Recreation Ground.

The possibility of lowering the height of the goalposts to discourage high kicks is also being discussed.

He said: “Just to remove the goalposts would upset a lot of the kids because they love to play football.

“We need to talk to all the neighbours and find out the best solution.”

He added: “It’s important that we spend a bit of money on the other side of the road if we do it.

“You can’t take something like that away from the area completely. It would leave plenty for the little kids but nothing for the teenagers.”

The £40,000 revamped playground opened in June.

Marilyn Casey, who lives next door to the entrance to the recreation ground, said: “We’ve been getting balls over the fence for years. I wouldn’t want to see the goals taken out because while there’s other stuff for babies, there’s nothing for older children.”

Mrs Casey, 64, who takes her eight-year-old granddaughter to the park, said many of the children who used it were too young to cross the road to Horspath Road recreation ground unaccompanied.

She said: “I’m not sure what the solution is because it’s a rec – you are going to get balls going over the sides when they play football.

“We never had terrible hassle but we put up with it for years so now I suppose it’s their turn on the other side. It’s swings and roundabouts.”