CHILDREN are to take to the streets to tackle lunchtime litter.

Pupils from secondary schools across east Durham are to carry out surveys of the extent of the litter problem as part of a project to reduce the amount of rubbish created by classmates during their dinner hour.

The next survey will be carried out on Monday, by pupils from Seaham School of Technology.

They are working with Easington District Council's Pride in Easington team to deal with the problem.

Helen Douglas, Pride in Easington officer, said: "We know that a lot of the litter that accumulates around schools is left by children who leave the schools' grounds at lunchtime and buy food from nearby shops and takeaways.

"Our aim is to find out how bad the problem is and to work with the children to reduce it.

"We have specifically chosen secondary schools in the district because of the volume of pupils attending them, and because the children are most likely to go out at lunchtime."

Six pupils from Easington Community School's Eco Committee were the first to conduct a litter survey.

They were asked to rate the level of litter in streets around the school.

The pupils were also given the chance to put forward their ideas for cutting down on litter and encouraged to spread the word about disposing of rubbish responsibly.

The team will carry out a follow-up survey in a month's time to find out if their efforts have made a difference.

The surveys are being carried out in advance of a month-long anti-littering initiative to be launched next week.