RESIDENTS and Blackpool FC joined forces to clean-up a piece of derelict land so that it can be used as a kick-about area for children.

The area -- known locally as Tasker's Land -- is behind the Tangerine Night Club and was bought by Blackpool FC to use in the redevelopment of Bloomfield Road.

But because work is not due to start for some time, the club has turned it over to children as a temporary football area.

The only snag was that it was not in a fit state for youngsters to use and had to be cleared.

The St Helier's Road Residents Association worked with the club to organise a clean-up which took place last Sunday.

Ten adults and 20 children worked hard and filled 30 bin bags of rubbish, but when they had finished there was still a lot of mess on the surface. They have not been put off and will return next weekend to have another attempt, hopefully with the help of a JCB.

Grant Davies, chairman of the Residents Association, said: "It was worse than we thought. There was glass, bits of concrete and all sorts of rubbish, so we want to get a JCB on it. The plot of land had been derelict and used as a fly tip for years -- long before the football club bought it.

"The club is trying to build bridges with the local community as the stadium develops. Allowing us to use the plot of land in this way is a positive step forward.

"It may only be for a few months but it may be available to us for several years. We used to have a playground but it got taken away and turned into a car park. We approached Carl Oyston, Blackpool's chairman, and he said we could use it and develop it.

"If we can get this land cleared we will put a football pitch on it and an area for other children."