RESIDENTS have joined forces to hold a six-monthly clean-up of their estate.

The events, which have become calendar marked dates for householders in Sevenacres, Great Lumley, near Chester-le-Street, are known as Womble Days.

But organiser Doreen Birleson conceded that many of the young volunteers may not even know that the name refers to the litter-picking cartoon characters of the 1970s.

"I think most of them are too young to know what the Wombles are," said Ms Birleson, a leading figure in Sevenacres Tenants' and Residents' Group.

"In fact, they have become so used to our Womble Days now that they associate the word 'Womble' with the clean-ups rather than anything else."

More than 30 people took part in Wednesday's event, which Ms Birleson said was a good turn-out considering it was holiday time and there are only 90 homes on the estate.

"We first did it two years ago and its been repeated every six months.

"We get help from Chester-le-Street District Council, which supplies us with skips, a roll-on/roll-off cage, black bin bags and litter picking scoops, while we provide the bodies to actually do the litter picking.

"I'm looking at the skips now and they're full, because apart from the rubbish lying around, people take the opportunity to put their garden waste in and the like.

"The place is definitely looking a lot tidier."

Police provided rides in a force van for the young litter pickers, as a reward for their efforts