THE initiative of a young Blockley resident has prompted parish councillors to don their thinking caps and they want other residents to do the same.

Alex Smith, aged 10 and a keen in-line skater, wrote to the council urging it to find a site for his fellow skaters to play in safety.

Now parish councillors are appealing for residents to help them find a solution to help Alex and his friends.

Alex, who lives in Winterway in the village, said in his letter: "I think Blockley should have a skating park because we skate down the road and people complain about us skating. All we do is race, because we have no things like ramps or grinding poles and also it's not a safe place to play."

He added: "We could help raise money or we could help make the park."

His mother, Lorraine, said the letter was entirely Alex's own idea and added: "There are a lot of children in our area of the village that do have skates and skateboards and they really do have nowhere to play. Where they go is on the road and it is pretty dangerous. There have been a few close shaves. I see them going past from my window and it really terrifies me."

She said: "People do moan about the children playing out there and I agree with them, but there's nowhere else to go."

Parish council chairman Helene Thompson said: "There is very little we can do because we haven't got the space, but we are trying to see if there is a solution. They do need somewhere to play. We do admire his efforts at drawing it to our attention."

Blockley is not the only place where young skaters are calling for facilities for their sport.

Moreton youngsters are also stepping up their efforts to find a site for a skate park.