FED-UP youngsters at Charlton Down have collected a 340-signature petition calling for extra recreation areas to be installed in the village.

A final decision on where these facilities for the village will go still has to be made by West Dorset District Council.

But pals Hannah Kirby, 10, and Danny Johns-Holloway, 12, hope that their petition will speed up the process. They are particularly keen to see a skatepark included in any final plans.

They spent the summer going from door to door in the new community, collecting names to back their call for action.

Ann Kirby, Hannah's mum, said: "They said they weren't being listened to, and people around here seem to have been arguing over where the play areas should go.

"So we suggested what they could do to get involved and after a while they came up with the idea of having a petition.

"They sorted a form out and went from door to door asking people to support the need for play areas as soon as possible.

"We helped them a little bit but I am really proud of what they have done, because extra play areas are desperately needed in the village.

"We just hope we see some action now," said Mrs Kirby, who has two other children, Sean, seven, and Liam, two.

Hannah, who goes to St Osmund's Middle School in Dorchester, said: "We were just fed up with having nowhere to go. When I told my mum I was really bored and that there was nothing to do so she suggested we think about what we could do to get things moving."

Danny, who also attends St Osmund's, added: "We knew that we had to get people's names down so we started going from door to door, asking people to support the need for a play area and somewhere to skateboard. We just hope we will be listened to."

The pair have handed the petition to the district council.

Proposals for the village have included a possible skateboard area on the football field, a community orchard and extra play areas for toddlers and older children.

There have been objections by some residents to the suggested the siting of some of them, but it is hoped that work on the improved facilities will start soon.

West Dorset District Council has overseen development at Charlton Down, the site of the former Herrison Hospital three miles from Dorchester. In all it involves around 500 homes.

The money to enhance open spaces and provide community facilities on the site was secured by the district council as part of its negotiations with the developers.