A PLAN suggested by residents to improve dark alleyways in an effort to help combat crime is to go ahead.

Support from the Home Office's Anti-Social Behaviour Unit and the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund is helping residents of Dean Bank, Ferryhill, to fight crime and disturbance in their neighbourhood.

Groundwork East Durham is working with local people on a range of improvements to several pedestrian alleyways which lead off the main road corridor that runs through Dean Bank. Proposals include improved lighting and the removal of high shrubs that obscure vision.

Groundwork's landscape architect Claire Stubbs and community safety officer PC Neil Langthorne joined residents at the alleyways to discuss the scheme.

The improvements, which will cost £30,000, are expected to start next month.

The trouble spots were identified by the community last summer, when Groundwork carried out an appraisal of the Dean Bank road corridor.

Funding is also in place for improvements to the road corridor itself, including new lighting columns, paving, road barriers and improvements to individual sites.

The Dean Bank Environmental Forum, which was formed by residents and stakeholders to oversee the appraisal work, chose an art nouveau theme for the improvements, based on existing designs on a number of buildings in the area.

The plan identifies 14 sites, starting from the entrance to Dean Bank, next to the Black Bull pub, to the Ferryhill Business and Enterprise College.