A CROWDED yard outside the St Albans Abbey is a health and safety hazard, a concerned sub dean has warned. Canon Stephen Lake has urged the community to find a new way of managing Sumpter Yard, a small, one-entrance space which is used as a delivery entra

A CROWDED yard outside the St Albans Abbey is a health and safety hazard, a concerned sub dean has warned.

Canon Stephen Lake has urged the community to find a new way of managing Sumpter Yard, a small, one-entrance space which is used as a delivery entrance, a pedestrian walkway, a chorister drop-off and an emergency access route.

Canon Lake said that three Chapter's committees - the Safety Committee, the Abbey Assembly and the Abbey Works Committee - have identified that the greatest risk of personal injury on cathedral grounds is Sumpter Yard.

He added: "As a whole community we need to find a new way of managing this space for the well-being of all. Currently we're looking at the viability and costs of an electric barrier and preparing a report for new signage."

Canon Lake also asked people who use the yard to close the gate upon leaving, always adhere to the 10mph speed limit and to only park in a marked bay or on the cedar tree side of Sumpter Yard.