Action will be taken to try to stop drug addicts leaving needles on rugby pitches used by children as young as six.

Llandudno Rugby Club put in a planning application to install fencing around its training and playing facilities in a bid to tackle the problem, and when Conwy’s planning committee met on Wednesday, they agreed..

In a  speech to councillors, Dewi Miles, who spoke in favour of the application, said the pitches were often littered with drug paraphernalia and dog mess.

Mr Miles said addicts are taking drugs at a tree known locally as the “drug tree”, which he said gave users a good vantage point to spot the police approaching.

The Maesdu Road club applied for full planning permission to put up a 1.8 metre high perimeter fence.

The fence would have three pedestrian entrances, each with a gate which would be a metre high, and a vehicular access off Maesdu Road, which would have a double gate.

The application was accompanied by petitions both in favour of and against the plans.

In a statement to the committee, the club said it had problems with dog fouling and anti-social behaviour including litter, drugs and alcohol, as well as damage to posts and cross bars.

However, nearby residents and the town council objected to the plans.

Llandudno Town Council said it was worried about the visual impact of the fence and that it would curtail access to recreational facilities.

Cllr Carol Marubbi, who sits on the town council, spoke against the plans on the grounds of loss of leisure amenities.

She said: “If you are a resident across from the rugby pitch, it is really horrific to have to look at fencing all the way around.

“It is supposed to be open plan. We have very little open plan in Conwy now.

“It’s just a shame that we have to have fencing all the away around and then put gates on it so we won’t be able to walk where we want.

“We’ve got to have permission to have the gate open, as they will close the gate at 5pm.

“The drug people are everywhere. If you move them from one site, they’ll just move somewhere else.”

Officers clarified that pedestrian gates to the site would be shut at 5pm but not locked.

Mr Miles said: “We are fencing off the playing and training areas, not the whole of the playing fields.

“A month ago, we had a rugby festival and there were over 450 young people from the age of six to 11 playing there.

“Club members were working from six in the morning to make sure the layout of the pitches were correct, but the most important job they had was to go around with buckets to pick up dog muck and needles. However, you can’t get all of the mess there.

“There is one tree on this beautiful site called the ‘drug tree’. People there share drugs, they give out drugs, they share their paraphernalia, and one of the reasons they use it is because it is one of the few open areas where they see the police are coming, so they can just toss those needles onto the field.”

Members of the committee voted in favour of approving the application for the fencing.