A Willesden Green teenager has launched a petition to have lights installed at skate park in a Harlesden park to encourage sporty youngsters and deter crime.

Skateboard fanatic Daniel Gravis hopes the council will do the same as neighbouring councils and place lights in the skatepark area of Roundwood Park.

Brent Council is currently installing four lamp-posts in the park after a successful campaign by pupils from Newman Catholic College, in Harlesden Road.

The 19-year-old former Queen's Park Community School pupil, said: "I am a skateboarder and used to be a student not that long ago.

Roundwood skatepark has been my second home for the last four years since it was built.

Before then I used to go Royal Oak Skatepark, Cantelowes Skatepark in Camden or even Southbank skatepark, which is quite far away, but those had lights."

He added: "Throughout the years, there were no lights installed, making it impossible to skate after the sun sets, which is super early in these winter days, about 4pm which is the time when most of the school kids finish their studies and go home to change, but are not able to come to the skatepark as it's too dark and are forced to sit at home playing video games or something along those lines.

Instead, if a few lights were installed they could be practicing their skateboarding, bike, rollerblades, scooter skills, and not only keeping up a healthy lifestyle and socializing in real life, finding friends with similar interests, but also you never know, one of them may be a future professional athlete."

In September last year a group of Newman Catholic College pupils made a deputation at a full council meeting demanding lights in the park.

Finally, more than a year on, thanks to their campaigning, the council is installing four lights.

However, Daniel, a freelance photographer, and his friends currently use flashlights to skate in late afternoon and early evening.

Daniel added: "Lights would make Roundwood a much safer place because throughout the years there have been many accidents that have affected myself personally and my friends and some people just refuse to come to that park anymore."

A Brent Council spokesperson said they "appreciated" the Newman pupils raising the issue of lighting in Roundwood Park.

They added: "Following a public consultation and the pupils' request for lighting, we are currently in the process of installing four lights in this area to improve visibility.

"The lights are along the pathway and will shed light across the whole route used by young people returning home from school.

"Lights have not been installed in the skateboard area as it was not intended to encourage its use at night-time."