VANDALISM and trespassing at a derelict school site in Stourbridge is becoming a weekly problem for police and local residents.

Police have been called to ten incidents – an average of more than one a week – at the former Longlands School site in Brook Street since the start of April.

The Old Quarter site, owned by Birmingham Metropolitan College, has lain empty since 2011 and two previous bids to develop it have fallen through.

Another bid is believed to be in the offing - and Wollaston and Stourbridge Town ward councillor Nic Barlow says the site needs to be redeveloped to eliminate the low-level crime that plagues it.

Cllr Barlow said: “It’s a dreadfully unsafe site. I went around there a couple of years back and I believe it has got considerably worse since then.

“It is very disappointing that the site has ended up as it is today. It is causing a lot of concern and frustration among local residents.

“There are quite a lot of entry points to the site but a lot more could have been done to keep the site as secure as possible.

“It has been going on far too long and these incidents of trespassing and vandalism are causing people more worry. The sooner something is done with the site the better.”

Cllr Barlow believes a new bid to transform the site is in the preliminary stages – but says it cannot be just any old development.

He added: “I do have concerns about how the site will be developed.

“The site only really had one main access road and it will need to be earmarked for residential development because it is in a prime location.

“But it has to be a sympathetic development because of the nature of the location and the existing properties around it. It has to be in-keeping with the location.

“What we don’t want is a large scale bog standard housing development with 60-65 houses – it has to be as low-key as possible.”

In regards to the recent trespasses, a spokesperson for Birmingham Metropolitan College said: “Regular security patrols are in place and we are doing all we can to keep the site secure.

“We work closely with the local community, including the area’s residents and will continue to respond swiftly to any issues that may arise.

“We take our responsibility to protect this site very seriously and we urge people not to trespass as they are putting their safety at risk.”