Swindon has escaped being dragged into a new political row over the sale of playing fields for building development.

For while leaked figures show that more of these green spaces are being turned into concrete and tarmac throughout the country none have been put up for sale locally.

"Since this present authority was formed no playing fields have been sold in Swindon for building," said Swindon council spokeswoman Helen Barnes.

Figures taken at the weekend from a confidential report for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, show that nationally the number of playing fields sold off for development has leapt by 60 per cent.

The actual figures show that between April 2000 and March this year 446 applications for building on sports fields were approved compared with just 279 approvals in the previous 12 months.

And it is said that in the vast majority of cases no objections were made to the applications.

The figures relate to sports pitches, including school playing fields, that are larger than one acre.