PENSNETT councillors have urged residents to take pride in the area after eight bags of rubbish were collected during a litter pick.

Plastic bottles, fast food packaging, crisp packets and energy drink cans were found strewn across a small stretch of Pensnett Road, along with broken glass bottles.

John Martin, who helped clear up the mess along with his fellow ward councillor Judy Foster, said: "All of these items ruin our lovely open spaces for the enjoyment of others and can also harm family pets and wildlife."

He said they would be calling on Dudley Council to provide more litter bins and enforcement patrols in the area but added: "Prevention is better than cure, so we would also ask parents to instil into their children the importance for themselves and future generations of respecting their environment, to have pride in their area and to use litter bins or take their litter home."