A KIDDERMINSTER councillor has lavished praise on the police for helping restore peace to a town park previously plagued by gangs of teenagers drinking alcohol into the early hours of the morning.

Extra officers and community support officers have been drafted in to keep an eye on young people loitering around King Charles V playing fields, near Marlpool Lane, in a bid to cut down on anti-social behaviour in recent weeks.

Town councillor, Geoffrey Baker, responsible for Franche, said a higher police presence had been top of the residents' wish list at a Partners and Communities Together - PACT - meeting earlier this year.

According to Mr Baker, the playing fields had previously been frequented by teenagers drinking alcohol and playing football, sometimes until 2am.

He had been inundated with calls about nuisance behaviour and the volume of noise but believed the higher police presence and arrests in recent weeks had made a significant difference.

He said: "At April's meeting, the residents' main aim was to see extra patrols near the playing fields to deter youngsters from playing football and the like until the early hours of the morning.

"I'm not sure whether they've moved on elsewhere but last Saturday night when I went past the park, at about 10.30pm, there was not a soul about.

"The amount of calls I receive from residents is far less now and I think that is down to the higher police presence in the area."

Following April's PACT meeting, a site visit was called with members from Wyre Forest District Council's cultural, leisure and commercial services team.

In the next couple of weeks, they are looking at relocating the railings which the children sit on, to deter them from congregating in one place.

They are also looking to redirect youths from the Marlpool Lane end of the playing fields to the other side, near Wolverley Road, by introducing a goalpost and teenage shelter.

PC Rosie Wood said: "This real reduction in anti-social behaviour has been achieved by increased patrols in the area, the seizure of alcohol from underage people and two positive arrests.

"We intend, with our local partners, to continue to concentrate on this issue in the future."