Residents urge action on disused pool hall

Residents are demanding action to clean up a disused former snooker and pool hall in Stourbridge which they say has become a target for vandals.

Minnesota Fats, in Parkfield Road, was closed after more than two decades in the town to make way for new flats.

But since shutting up last October, the building has been left to fall into disrepair and there is no sign of development on the site.

Residents say it is an eyesore near to their homes and the bus station. They are concerned the longer the building remains empty the more of a magnet it will become for crime and anti-social behaviour.

One Mount Road resident, who did not wish to be named, said it was becoming a problem for the area. "The building has been left to fester and looks like a complete mess at the moment," he said. "It is making this part of the town look really rundown.

"The issue is it starts to attract problems when a building is left unoccupied like this one has. I have seen police moving on homeless people from the car park and kids using it as a playground.

"The big fear is if there is a fire there as it so close to other properties. I think everyone just wants to see something done with it now as it is just left in limbo at the moment."

Site owners Clockfair Ltd decided to close the site because it was no longer commercially viable. No one from Clockfair Ltd was unavailable for comment today.