A SCHEME to rid Darlington's streets of abandoned cars is to be extended by six months.

The initial two-week car amnesty, launched on January 17, has seen council workers remove and dispose of old and unwanted cars for free.

It has been hugely successful and 66 cars have been collected and disposed of so far.

Workers from Darlington Borough Council also approached people with vehicles parked on their properties that looked likely to be scrapped and offered to take them away for free.

The scheme is part of a national initiative run by Encams, formerly Keep Britain Tidy, and funded by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

The success of the scheme and the support of European Metal Recycling, which collects the scrapped cars on behalf of the council free of charge, means the council is able to continue the service for another six months.

Councillor Stephen Harker said: "Through this scheme, we can tidy up our neighbourhoods and ensure that all that can be recycled from the vehicles is recycled."

Last year, the council spent £60,000 removing and disposing of 1,000 cars that had been abandoned by their owners.

Anyone wanting an abandoned vehicle collected can call (01325) 388799.