A BOROUGH councillor has committed to setting up a multi-agency task force to tackle anti-social behaviour in Church Hill.

The pledge comes after Redditch Borough councillor Mike Rouse and Worcestershire County Councillor Juliet Brunner were directly confronted by a local gang who they suspected may have been dealing drugs in the district centre as they finished a jointly-run surgery for local residents.

Coun Rouse said: "We had just come out of the building following a surgery session and were talking about a local issue when I noticed drug dealing activity happening around me by a brazen group of youths.

"We tried to move away but were confronted by the gang one of whom I was later told has a history of violence. I'm told I was lucky to have avoided being assaulted, but I'm a big bloke who grew up on a tough council estate, so it's different for me. It's the ordinary residents I'm worried out."

The councillors were wearing official ID badges at the time and have expressed concern based on reports from local residents about getting abuse whenever they confront the groups.

Following the incident, coun Rouse convened a meeting of West Mercia Police and the council's community safety officers, and as a result a number of actions were agreed, including better access to the CCTV control room for local officers, and some work on some overgrown greenery that was obscuring the cameras.

Coun Rouse added: "I'm pleased my direct actions have delivered some positive results, but we're still having issues and residents are fed up. It's time for action."

"That's why I have tasked council officers to work with me, partners and the police to establish a local task force, and I've requested the first meetings to take place as soon as possible whilst we are still in the summer months when the problem is at its worst."

"This is something that has been going on for years and whilst we have continuously discussed it there's actually been very little action taken. It's time to step things up and sort this out."

The task force will work in a similar fashion to one spearheaded by councillor Juliet Brunner in Matchborough where similar problems were encountered at the district centre.

Councillor Brunner said: "I will be working with councillor Rouse and councillor Isherwood as I'm one of the county councillors that covers Church Hill where we will set up a task force to tackle these anti-social behaviour issues head-on."

"I was with my colleague when we encountered one of the groups very directly and it was a frightening thing that I am determined to see stamped out."