A COMMUNITY blighted by vandalism and petty arson is pulling together to clean up its streets.

South Moor, near Stanley, has one of the highest rates in County Durham for street arsons, known as secondary fires. Fire chiefs have launched a pilot project to tackle the problem, and residents have rallied round.

Andy Whitehead, station commander at High Handenhold fire station, near Stanley, said: "South Moor has had a problem for the past 12 months and it has been steadily getting worse.

"It has about the same number of secondary fires as much larger areas, such as Durham or Darlington. We decided we needed a pro-active initiative to combat it."

The campaign, dubbed Fire Busters, aims to blitz roads and backyards to remove items that provide tempting targets for arsonists, such as white goods, old tyres and unwanted furniture.

Recent Government figures calculated that it costs a minimum £950 every time a fire engine is called out. In a bad month, firefighters can attend 30 arsons in South Moor - costing the taxpayer nearly £30,000.

"For one small area of Stanley, the bill is getting very high," said Mr Whitehead.

The project is backed by police chiefs, plus Derwentside District Council and Derwentside Primary Care Trust.

It has also won support from environmental group Groundwork West Durham, Sure Start, Stanley Green Corridor Partnership, the Youth Offending Service, South Moor Area Partnership and Greenland Community Infant School.

If the campaign proves a success, it will be extended across County Durham.

As part of the campaign to brighten up the area, volunteers are also planning to wipe graffiti off their streets. Streets, pavements and yards will also be swept and cleaned.

After the clean up, families can relax at a celebration event, sponsored by Asda, in Stanley, and the Three Rivers Housing Association.

Anyone interested in taking part in the clean-up should meet outside Greenlands Community Infants School at 10am, on Wednesday next week.

Darren McMahon, who represents the South Moor ward on Derwentside District Council, said: "This Fire Busters day is a clear sign that local people care about the future of our local environment.

"Working together like this creates a sense of community and for some of our younger volunteers it is a first taste of active citizenship."