A TWO-PRONGED campaign has been launched by council officials to make Hartlepool safer and cleaner.

They are promoting an initiative called Safer and Cleaner Routes to School, which involves encouraging more youngsters to complete the journey to and from school on foot and bike - and not to drop litter as they do so.

It is an extension of Hartlepool Borough Council's original Safer Routes to School scheme, which aims to encourage parents to become less dependant on their cars by opting for safer and more healthy forms of travel when taking their children to school.

Ian Burton, environmental officer said: "The Safer Routes to School scheme has proved very successful, but that means more youngsters are walking or cycling to school and this creates the potential for more litter to be generated.

"When money became available through the town's two Single Regeneration Budget partnerships, we decided to launch the Safer and Cleaner Routes to School initiative to help protect the local environment.

"As a result, 12 new litter bins have been installed along roads in the vicinity of St John Vianney and Golden Flatts Primary Schools.