SPORTY Brockmoor youngsters went head to head with police officers in a football match, in a bid to curb anti social behaviour.

Officers from the Brockmoor and Pensnett neighbourhood policing team noticed an increase of complaints from residents about youths acting anti socially in the area.

So in a bid to give the youngsters something to do during the holidays, officers organised a football match at the Dell Stadium and played against children from Orchard Street - which has been a hotspot for anti social behaviour over recent months.

The teams were also able to step out in style after being kitted out with football strips, funded by The Dudley Stroke Association and Dudley Healthy Hubs Association.

And John Hall, manager of the Dell Stadium, donated medals to the Orchard Street team for their excellent performance in the matches that took place throughout the day.

Police Community Support Officer Ryan Cox who organised the match said: “After receiving numerous complaints from residents about the anti social behaviour of young people along Orchard Street, the Brockmoor and Pensnett team decided to work with the youths to find out why they were behaving the way they were.

“It has taken us a few months to build up a relationship with the youths, but after speaking to them about the consequences of acting anti socially and the effect it has on others, anti social behaviour in this area has decreased dramatically”.