FOLLOWING a sharp rise in anti-social behaviour and drug taking in Matchborough one Redditch councillor has said enough is enough and has vowed to take back the streets.

Councillor Juliet Brunner has set up a community taskforce to try to tackle the problem before it gets out of hand.

Comprising local safer neighbourhood teams, police, churches, local community groups, and Redditch Council's leisure services, the hope is to give youngsters something to do and somewhere to go so they are not aimlessly wandering the streets.

The group will also be opening up certain areas and clearing bushes by the supermarket in a bid to deter people from taking drugs there.

It comes after a worrying increase in reports of littering, bus shelters being vandalised, and other anti-social behaviour.

"People are intimidated," admitted Cllr Brunner.

"When you have to walk through large gangs of people playing football or hanging around it is quite hard.

"The problem has got worse in the last three or four months. Anti-social levels have gone up.

"I don't want people being afraid to come out of their homes, to be afraid to enter the Matchborough centre.

"Matchborough was once a no-go area - I will not let that happen again

"I will not let Matchborough look like a war zone."

Matchborough's all weather pitch, at Arrow Vale Sports Centre, had to be closed three months ago due to safety reasons.

Something Cllr Brunner says no doubt has contributed to the increase in anti-social behaviour, but is not the only factor.

The councillor, who stressed it is only a small minority causing trouble, added: "I'm confident that we can get this sorted. We've done it before and we will do it again."