A LITTER-busting scheme in the North-East has been so successful that the council behind it has been shortlisted for a national award.

The campaign in Darlington, launched in January last year and backed by The Northern Echo, has seen 600 people fined for littering and fly-tipping and 200 businesses sign up to a Tidy Trader charter.

Environment response and street care teams were launched to tackle the worst areas, and in the past year they have received 2,500 requests for their services.

The campaign was also featured on BBC television's The Real Story, with presenter Fiona Bruce commenting: "The streets of Darlington are virtually spotless."

As well as looking better, the scheme is also saving Darlington Borough Council money on its street cleaning bill.

Councillor Chris McEwan, the cabinet member for community protection, said: "A year ago, we recognised that litter and fly-tipping were becoming a concern among the public and we responded.

"We needed to change the culture that it was acceptable for the public just to drop rubbish where they liked."

The campaign is to be stepped up with a pilot scheme in the town centre, where cleaning will be reduced but the presence of community wardens increased, putting more emphasis on the deterrent aspect of the scheme.

The winners of the Local Government Chronicle Awards will be announced on March 15, at a ceremony in London.

Also nominated for awards are the council's communications team and the personnel department.