A TILBURY councillor has pleaded with anti-social members of the local community to mend their ways - but adds that it is time police stepped up their presence in the town.

Cllr John Allen was speaking after vandals dragged an old chest freezer onto a park and set fire to it.

The incident happened today (Monday, 9December) close to the skate park area at the King George Playing Fields, better known locally as the Daisy Field.

Cllr Allen said: "It would be great if this type of anti-social behaviour of dumping or fly tipping call it what you will ceased to happen in our town.

"Last week I was in London Road and came across smoke coming from the new building on The Anchor Field and parked my car quickly to discover a fire had been started.

"I quickly knocked on a nearby resident's house and asked for a bucket of water. The lady, who I knew m, gave me a large full watering can so I ran across the road and put out the fire.

"This type of anti-social behaviour is becoming rife.

"I can only call for more police presence in the town to try and catch the arsonists that keep setting light to everything including wheelie bins and everything else that will burn it would seem."