Judy Murray helps Cornwall parents secure U-turn on 'running in playground' ban

The mother of tennis star Andy Murray has helped overturn a 'ban on running' in a school playground in Cornwall.

Judy Murray took to Twitter earlier in the week to label the 'ban' at Hillfort Primary School in Liskeard 'utterly absurd' and said it was 'no wonder [Great Britain] is becoming a nation of fatties.'

Parents had set up a petition demanding the school re-think its policy but the school's headmaster has described it as a 'misunderstanding'.

Ms Murray - who is Great Britain's Fed Cup captain - was asked about her comments at a tennis starter event in Edinburgh yesterday. She said:

Great Britain's Fed Cup captain waded into the row after parents set up an online petition to reverse what they saw as the school's decision to ban running.

The petition urged the school to 'enable and empower children’s right and freedom to run freely through spontaneous, child led play, in the playground during lunch time break'.

It was signed by more than 150 people after the decision was announced in the school newsletter.

But in a statement on its website the headteacher Dr. Tim Cook moved to clarify the school's position saying:

Parents have welcomed what they described as a 'u-turn' by the school and said: 'Our children WILL have the right & freedom to run freely during child led free play! Well done, fantastic outcome!'