RESIDENTS have called for a community campaign to clean up a newly-developed area of Newton Aycliffe.

They are angry about litter strewn around the Cobblers Hall shopping area and blame young customers of takeaways and shops that opened in the summer.

One person living in the area filled six carrier bags full of rubbish from a children's playground.

He said: "They throw pizza boxes and fish and chip papers on the ground, there are cans everywhere and the whole place is a mess.

"The new development is smart and it would be a nice area apart from this."

Councillor Vince Crosby, who represents the area on Sedgefield Borough Council, said: "What we need is community action. The council clears up the mess, but it can only do so much.

"We put up extra litter bins, but they pull them down and burn them at £400 a time. We can clean up one day and it can be just as bad the next.

"People blame the council but it is not the council which is dropping litter, it is the people themselves and they need to take responsibility.

"We need a massive education campaign to try to stop them doing it.

"And we need people to report anyone they see leaving a mess. If they tell us at the council, we will prosecute."

Over the past 18 months enforcement officers have issued nearly 200 fixed penalty tickets to people seen dropping litter across the borough.

Offenders can be taken to court, and seven cases are due to be heard by Bishop Auckland magistrates in December.

A council spokesman said: "We are determined to stamp this out. We need the support of the public to help us track down the people responsible."