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 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 authority.

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

Chris Tunstall, the county council'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 new-style lengthsmen will be responsible for looking after hedges and ditches, minor drainage works, sign cleaning and other 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.

"The end result should be better environmental standards on our roads and footpaths.

"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."