Members of Dudley Council’s ruling cabinet donned hi-vis vests and armed themselves with litter pickers before carrying out a clean-up around Pensnett.

The group, headed up by new council leader, Councillor Qadar Zada, went out litter picking on Monday night, before a meeting of the informal cabinet at The Dell Stadium in Bryce Road.

Senior officers, including the chief executive, spent the evening in Pensnett discussing priorities for local people. It is part of a drive by the new boss to make senior politicians and decision-makers more visible in the community.

The cabinet will be in Coseley next month, talking to residents about their concerns, and plan to visit other areas of the borough as well in 2019. Councillor Qadar Zada, leader of the council, said:

"I’m very keen to dispel the notion that we are stuck behind desks and not accessible to the public. I want us to spend more time in the communities we serve and talk directly to the people that elect us.

"So we’ll be holding meetings all over the borough, not just at the council house, and seeing what we can do while we are there to help. That was the idea behind the litter pick - it gives us an opportunity to speak to local people and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

"This cabinet will listen to local people as they know their community well, and we will work with them to find the solutions to local issues that affect them.”