CHILDREN are helping to clean up the streets of west Middlesbrough this week.

About 30 children aged from eight to 12 began with a litter pick in Whinney Banks yesterday. It will be followed by litter-picking sessions in nearby West Lane and Newport.

The clean-up has been organised by West Middlesbrough Neighbourhood Trust, which manages the £52m New Deal for Communities programme, and Middlesbrough Council.

People living in the area are being asked to play their part by tidying up their gardens.

The young street cleaners will be rewarded with trips to the cinema and local attractions, including Beamish Open Air Museum and the Dolphin Centre, Darlington.