No music, no ball games, no fun: society is wiping out play. Clubs are closing, people complain about the sound of children playing, and the police are ready to enforce the code of joylessness.

A “no ball games” culture and increasing smartphone use mean play is being “squeezed out” of children’s lives, new research has found. A report by the Raising the Nation Play Commission ...

The charity's chief executive, Emily Robinson, said: "Unfortunately, when you get loads of signs that say No Ball Games, it absolutely prevents children from going out and playing.