A former Gala Bingo club which suffered the effects of the UK smoking ban and unfair tax system is the point of dispute as the building has gone from being at the heart of the community to an eyesore.

The Dudley North MP Ian Austin is demanding that the dilapidated landmark art deco building be cleaned up as it is now giving the town centre a bad name. The Gala Bingo club on Castle Hill, which ceased trading in September 2009, opened originally as the Hippodrome theatre in 1938. The site is now riddled with graffiti, rubbish and weeds and the MP has challenged council leader Councillor Les Jones to do something about it. He added: “The Castle Hill area should act as a gateway to the town centre and the Hippodrome should be a feature Dudley can be proud of. Why hasn’t Les Jones got it sorted out?

“It’s just yards from two of town’s biggest tourist attractions – the zoo and castle and the Black Country Museum but the paint is peeling, there are enormous weeds and there’s graffiti on the walls.

“It gives a terrible impression of the town and I can’t understand why the council hasn’t sorted it out. How hard can it be to send a couple of workers down to tidy it up?”

Councillor Jones claims the bingo club is key regeneration plans for Castle Hill, adding: “Options in relation to the site are currently being considered, all with the aim of ensuring Castle Hill is a gateway into the town we can all be proud of.”

Plans to clean up the premises will take place this week.