RESIDENTS are hoping to make their streets cleaner and safer after buying poop scoop bins.

The Consett North Ward Regeneration Partnership was set up in November last year to help improve the area. A committee asked all residents for their views on the worst problems in the ward, and then made tackling dog fouling and litter its first objectives.

It announced it will provide five poop scoop bins and six litter bins across the area, after a successful bid for £1,000 to the Single Regeneration Budget.

A partnership spokesman, Greg Coltman, said: "We did an appraisal and dog fouling and litter were the two areas that most people wanted addressed. Now, we want people to use them and keep Consett North clean and tidy."

Derwentside District Council will provide free plastic bags for dog owners.

Residents have also run a successful litter pick on the Blue Heaps wasteland.

Mr Coltman said: "We did half the site and filled 46 bin bags. People expressed an interest in coming back and finishing it off and that is something we will look at in the near future."