PAUL BARTON is the councillor turned gatekeeper who is helping to keep a park open to the public - and closed to night-time troublemakers.

The Hyndburn Council representative for Barnfield ward will be responsible for locking the Hollins Lane gate into Oakhill Park, Accrington, overnight.

The authority decided to lock the gate all day after some residents raised concerns about vandalism and nuisance caused by young people coming in and out of the park.

But residents at the bottom end of Hollins Lane objected to the access being closed off altogether because they said it was forcing the problem on to the streets.

In an attempt at compromise it has been agreed that it will be locked at night, and opened during the day.

Coun Barton said: "I have been inundated with calls about this.

"The solution we have come to is that I have the key and will be responsible for locking the gate overnight. I have spoken to a number of residents in that area about it and the majority of them seem to be happy with that."

A new play area is being created in the park and Coun Barton said he was hoping to get CCTV to prevent vandalism.

Local resident David Sanderson, who last week called on the council to unlock the gate because it was forcing juvenile nuisance onto the street outside his house, said the proposed solution would do little to alleviate the problems he and his neighbours were experiencing.

He said: "I'm still not sure why it was locked in the first place. Shutting that one gate has forced the youths onto the street further down Hollins Lane where they have been causing a nuisance - cars have been damaged and there is litter and glass everywhere.

"Opening the gate during the day will be better for people who use the park during daylight hours, but this solution is not going to improve matters for me. We didn't have a problem before they locked the gate, but we have one now."