VILLAGERS, skaters and bikers got together to give Yorkley's skatepark some tender loving care with a lick of paint.

The paint job comes in advance of the park's annual skatejam, featuring live music from the likes of Amateur Drive By and open competitions in boards, skates, scooters and BMX bikes.

Ian Hodgkinson, from the village, says the skatepark is: "Hugely popular and a massive asset for the village. It is constantly in use and doesn't only attract skaters and riders from the village, but around the whole area. It's not unusual to find people from Newport or Monmouth and the guy who won the BMX last year came from Shropshire. Part of it is because it's a very friendly place, and part of it is because the park has a birch wood surface which they like because it has a bit of give."

The skatejam at the Recreation Ground in Yorkley takes place from 1pm to 7pm next Sunday (September 11) and should feature bands like Pandemick (Dean); Years to Come, Red Exit Girl (Monmouth) and Samwave as well as Amateur Drive By (Gloucestershire) who played at last year's skatejam. Full details on Facebook or http://www.yorkley-village.co.uk">www.yorkley-village.co.uk.