NEWLY elected Labour councillors have pledged to remain approachable and accountable after winning seats on Dudley Council as part of a landslide victory that has ousted the ruling Tory group.

The Labour party has been celebrating turning a proportion of Amblecote and Wollaston ward red for the first time in more than a decade and, to stay true to their election pledges, new councillors Christine Perks (Amblecote), Chris Hale (Wollaston) and Ian Marrey (Wollaston) have promised to hold monthly surgeries for residents to raise issues of concern.

Christine Perks, who beat sitting Conservative councillor Colin Banks to the ballot box on May 3, said: "Residents in these areas will have the opportunity to meet their councillors on a regular basis at these monthly surgeries.

“They will also give councillors the opportunity of keeping in touch with matters that concern our neighbourhoods.

“We never want to be accused of being out of touch with the electorate.”

Surgeries for Amblecote residents will be held at Amblecote Holy Trinity Church Hall from 6pm to 7.30pm on Thursday June 7 and the every first Thursday of the month afterwards.

They will also be held at Withymoor Primary School Community Room from 6pm to 7.30pm on Tuesday June 12 and every Tuesday of the month afterwards.

And for Wollaston and Stourbridge Town residents, surgeries will take place at The What Centre, Coventry Street, Stourbridge, from 10am till midday on Saturday June 2 and then the first Saturday of every month afterwards.

The party already holds regular surgeries in Quarry Bank and Dudley Wood and in Lye and Stourbridge North at Lye Community Centre from 6pm till 7.30pm on the first Thursday of every month and at Anwaral Quran Educational Centre in Talbot Street, or Ghosia Mosque in Lye High Street from 2.30pm to 4pm on the first Friday of every month. Surgeries are also held at the Sunshine Club, New Farm Estate, from 10am to 11.30pm on the first Saturday of every month.

For more details and to keep up to date with the councillors check out www.stourbridgelabour.wordpress.com or call Christine Perks on 01384 259979, Chris Hale on 07968 145156 or Ian Marrey on 07918 741029.