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Almost half of 5 to 10-year-olds never play outside their homes, according to a study out today. Compare that with two generations ago, when it was rare for youngsters not to play in the street. Indeed, just 12 per cent of over-65s said they had never played outside their homes when they were young while 47 per cent said they did so every day.

So what's changed? According to the charity Living Streets, a lot of it is down to the increasing amount of traffic. That's why they're suggesting 20mph speed limit across all residential roads.

But there are other factors too, including the social breakdown of our communities.

"The number of neighbours we know has declined, local shops have closed and it is becoming increasingly rare to see children playing out on the streets," saysthe charity's chief executive Tony Armstrong.

"We have effectively designed ourselves out of our own communities through urban planning that has failed to prioritise people."

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