A CLEAN-UP operation to improve a troubled street could pave the way for a better Blacon.

Solutions to dog fouling, fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour were discussed at a meeting between Graham Road residents and community leaders.

The campaign aims to tackle problems which stem from the Graham Road play area and field and, if successful, the methods will be taken to other areas of Blacon.

'This is a pilot scheme,' said organiser David Maguire of the Blacon Project's Open Spaces Group. 'Over the months the Open Spaces Group has been aware of the number of problems faced by Graham Road.

'After a small consultation and a door to door survey we have identified a few problems and we will now look into ways of tackling them head-on.'

Chester Home Watch Coordinator David Owens and David Hosker, a Chester City Council environmental protection officer, attended the meeting at the Mathew Henry Church, Blacon, on Monday, to offer their expertise.

Residents' biggest concern was the problem of anti-social behaviour.

They complained of complacency among their neighbours and said people were unwilling to intervene or report anti-social behaviour to the police for fear of reprisals.

Mr Owens replied: 'You need to get Home Watch established in your area. Next-door neighbours don't necessarily know each other any more, but a scheme like Home Watch brings people together.

'If something is going on outside, you can phone each other instead of sitting inside wondering what's going on. You can all turn your lights on and it will frighten the nuisances away.'

He added: 'Wherever you go in the Chester area, residents complain about similar things. Blacon, Lache, even the rural areas have problems with anti-social behaviour.

'But people are reluctant to report anything to the police because they are frightened.'

Householders said a high fence would be near the top of their wish list, to surround the park to stop it being used as a dumping ground by residents.

Next up would be playing equipment to replace the old swings and slide, which residents claim have been in place for more than 15 years.

One said: 'There are other parks around with brand new equipment and they look really nice. But you never see any money being spent on Graham Road.'

They also said they are concerned about the high level of dog fouling and the risk to their childrens' health.

On the issue of fly-tipping and dog fouling, Mr Hosker said: 'There are numbers to call for the council to come out and remove waste, but it costs money.

'This is why you need to report incidents to us and if possible, tell us who dumped the rubbish. Only last week we sent a letter to somebody who had dumped a lot of waste in an open space.

'We told them to clean up he the mess or we would do it - but it would cost them £150. They soon sorted it out.'

He added: 'We only have one dog warden to cover the vast Chester area. But when it comes to the issue of dogfouling, you don't need an additional dog warden, you need a reporting mechanism.

'The maximum penalty for allowing your dog to foul is £1,000, but it is very difficult to catch somebody in the act.

'If you notice somebody walking their dog at a particular time everyday, then the dog warden should be informed and he will know when to arrive.'

As he concluded the meeting, Mr Maguire said: 'Within the next two weeks I will get the ball rolling and make initial calls to see what steps to take and whether our ideas are feasible.

'We will also have to investigate the issue of funding. We have talked about the problems on Graham Road and thought up some possible solutions.

'It's no good just talking about doing things for five years and never getting it done.'

Mr Maguire said packs would be sent to all Graham Road residents and residents on Blacon Point Road, whose properties back on to the park.

The packs will contain Home Watch information.