By RACHEL SPENCER

STOCKTON Heath councillor Graham Roughsedge is planning to turn detective to rid the village of nuisance youths who insist on spraying graffiti all over the park pavilion.

In recent weeks, Clr Roughsedge has become increasingly frustrated with the pranksters drawing and spraying their names all over the building in Alexandra Park.

And he says that if it doesn't stop soon, he's going to take the names of the yobs who write on the wall and take them to the police himself.

He has contacted the borough council on a number of occasions, and workers have been sent out to paint over the offensive material, but the vandals just go back and spray graffiti all over the building again.

Clr Roughsedge said: "It's an absolute mess. There was none for six or nine months but now it's started again, and every time they go and cover it up they go out and do some more.

"They set fire to the pavilion a couple of weeks ago and now they keep spraying all over it."

Clr Roughsedge thinks that police in the village should take a ride around the park on their bikes and find out who the culprits are.

He said: "I feel that a police presence could stop this. They should get the names that are written and find out who these people are.

"In my experience as a former policeman, children normally write their own names, so with a bit of detective work it might not be too hard to find out who the culprits are."

Sgt Dean Richardson from Stockton Heath's community action team said that he wants residents to tell him who the vandals are and to contact police straight away when they see them on the park so that his officers can get on their bikes and catch them in action.

Sgt Richardson said: "Problems on the park are something we are aware of and are trying to combat, but we need people to tell us what's happening when it's happening."