COUNCIL bosses are searching their budget in an effort to save an award-winning warden scheme.

Government funding for the Wear Valley Warden Scheme, in Bishop Auckland, runs out in March, leaving residents fearing for the future of the vital service.

But Michael Laing, the district council's housing director, said he was confident that money would be found to help the scheme carry on.

"We are now looking at ways to fund it. We are going through our budget bid at the moment," he said.

"We know how popular the scheme is among the community and councillors, and we will do everything in our power to keep it going."

Since the scheme was launched by former Newcastle United and England footballer Peter Beardsley in November 2002, the wardens have made great efforts to tidy up Woodhouse Close, St Helen Auckland, and the Coundon and Leeholme areas of Wear Valley.

Warden manager Roger Ward said it had taken a great deal of hard work, but so far the project had been a resounding success.

He said: "We have won two awards and are the only warden scheme in the country to have the Legal Services Commission Award Quality Mark.

"We have also formed a great partnership with the police.

"We get so many thank-you cards and letters from residents for getting things done, and that means a lot to me. Some of them are so moving. I really hope we get the funding to carry on."

Before the wardens took to the streets in Woodhouse Close, discarded hypodermic needles were found around the estate, but Mr Ward feels his team has managed to virtually stamp out the problem.

He said: "When we first started we were picking up around four to five hypodermic needles on Woodhouse Estate alone.

"Now we are picking up three a month and that is a big difference."

Mr Ward revealed that before the wardens started, about 500 used needles were being found when road sinks were cleared every six months.

That figure has reduced dramatically with the latest figure being 47.

Mr Ward said: "We take care of the smaller things, such as sorting out security measures in people's homes and street lighting.

"It takes a bit of pressure off the police and we find that more people prefer to talk to us than the police.

"If things work out, we are hoping that we will be able to expand into other areas of Wear Valley."