HIGHWAYS chiefs are turning back the clock more than 20 years to smarten up the streets and roads of County Durham.

The County Council is bringing back new look "lengthsmen" - council workers who once had responsibility for the general maintenance of specific lengths of roads and public rights of way until they disappeared through successive spending cutbacks in the early 1980s.

Now town and parish councils are sharing the £20,000 annual cost of each new community highway worker with the county.

The first will take to the streets of Stanhope, in Weardale, next month under an agreement drawn up with Stanhope Parish Council.

Chris Tunstall, the county's director of environment and technical services, said: "The worker will be provided with a van, full training and all the necessary equipment to carry out the job.

"The County Council's local highways inspector and the parish clerk will agree a fortnightly programme of work and will also consider any requests for urgent work from people living in the area so that the work programme can be adjusted."

The lengthsmen will be responsible for looking after hedges and ditches, minor drainage works, sign cleaning and routine maintenance.

Mr Tunstall said: "They will be our eyes and ears on the streets, responsible for carrying out some works themselves, but in a position to report back to us other works which need doing.

"We have had talks with several other town and parish councils about forming a partnership and we are very hopeful that this pilot scheme can be expanded throughout the rest of the county."