A SEDGLEY businessman rolled up his sleeves and cleaned up a park hit by vandalism and anti-social behaviour – just hours before Dudley Council arrived to tackle it.

Damian Corfield was shocked to hear local children were unable to use the popular play area at Tenscore Park after yobs left behind a syringe, broken glass and beer cans at the weekend.

When he realised the council still hadn’t cleared the site first thing yesterday morning (Tuesday), he took matters into his own hands and went to the Priory Lane playing area armed with bin bags, saying the authority had "took too long" to respond.

However Councillor Hilary Bills, cabinet member for environmental services said the incident had only been reported “late on Monday afternoon” and a team was sent out at “the earliest opportunity” the following day but found the "offending items" had been removed.

She added that the play area was cleaned and inspected twice during the working week.

But in a bid to ensure the the park doesn't get into that state again in the future, Mr Corfield, who lives with his wife and two children on the High Arcal estate, wants to set up a community action group to encourage residents to "take back control of their area" and work with police to create a safe environment.

Mr Corfield, who is Labour’s candidate for Sedgley in next year’s local election, said: “At a time when police budgets are being slashed, I think it is important to work together to get the best deal for residents in Sedgley and keep our area safe.

“This is why I want to set up a community action group with residents, volunteers and the PCSOs so we can tackle problems like this when they arise.

“I hope lots of local people will get involved.”

Police are also going to keep an eye on the park, according to Sedgley councillor Bill Etheridge, who said parents of local children had been “extremely concerned” about the recent activity.

Cllr Etheridge, who is also a West Midlands MEP, said: “I have received an email from the police stressing their concerns about what they call ‘terrible behaviour’.

“They are going to add the park to their list of patrols."

He added: “I am especially pleased for the families of young children who use the park. They should be able to do so without fear of harm.

“I hope that anyone abusing this facility is apprehended and dealt with severely.”

The council is also urging residents to make sure that its clean-up teams are informed and able to respond to similar incidents effectively by reporting them directly to Dudley Council Plus on 0300 555 2345 or by using the free Dudley Council smartphone app.