Parents hit out as children as young as three are ordered to wear face coverings at Gulliver's Land in Milton Keynes

Gulliver's Land Theme Park has ruled that children aged three and over must wear masks or face coverings on all rides and attractions in case they 'scream or shout' or get too close to other people.
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The stance, which is against government guidelines, has angered some parents, who feel it is unsafe for such young children to wear a face covering.

"There is no scientific evidence available at all to suggest such a rule is beneficial to anybody. I complained to them about it but they haven't replied," said one dad.

Another parent said: "The government says children under the age of 11 should be exempt from wearing a mask. I wouldn't trust a three year old not to choke or pull it and get it stuck around their neck."

Children as young as three must wear a face mask at Gulliver's LandChildren as young as three must wear a face mask at Gulliver's Land
Children as young as three must wear a face mask at Gulliver's Land

She added: "Gulliver's ruling is totally unnecessary, especially when the rides are outside in the fresh air."

Gulliver's Land re-opened in MK on April 12 after lockdown restrictions eased. It has a traffic light system in place to alert people to the different levels of risk of Covid virus transmission associated with each attraction or ride.

Its website states: "Face coverings are mandatory on all rides and play attractions (except for children under three years of age). Please note that children aged three and over are required to wear a face covering on all rides and attractions."

It adds: "In line with government guidance, face coverings are a form of mitigation where the 2m rule cannot be guaranteed and additionally where it can be expected that visitors may scream and shout.

Gulliver's Land re-opened this month in MKGulliver's Land re-opened this month in MK
Gulliver's Land re-opened this month in MK

"Face coverings do not protect the actual person but they do provide some protection to others around them, including our team members."

The rule is mandatory on all rides, when using all play attractions, and all indoor communal areas including queues, gift shops, toilets, indoor lobby areas and accommodation lobby areas.

"You'll not need to wear a face covering when walking around the park provided you are maintaining a safe distance from other families... Children under 11 are not required to wear their face coverings in indoor communal areas." states the website.

Gulliver's say the policy on face-coverings has been in place since it reopened in July last year, following the first national lockdown.

"We understand this policy may not suit all visitors to our parks, but it is a measure that we feel, and our risk assessments show, is important...We would like to reassure our customers that we take the health and safety of everybody who visits our parks extremely seriously," states the website.

You can find out more on Gulliver's website here.

What do you think of Gulliver's rules? Let us know at [email protected]

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