STREET wardens may be recruited in an attempt to reduce the drug problem in a County Durham town.

A proposal has been put forward to enlist two wardens to operate in Ferryhill Station and the Dean Bank area of Ferryhill.

The communities have suffered from drug-related problems for some time and this year has seen a number of high-profile police operations and raids in the area.

The project will be supported by Sedgefield Borough Council and Three Rivers housing association, with funding from the Government's Communities Against Drugs initiative.

The aim is to build on a successful Neighbourhood Warden scheme operating in a deprived area of Newton Aycliffe.

Objectives of the project include reducing drug-related problems and crime in general, improving living conditions, providing a rapid response to concerns and involving residents in tackling regeneration issues.

The wardens will be recruited and employed by the council and will be based in a property in Dean Bank, provided rent-free by Three Rivers.

Further Government funding will be available to operate the scheme from January next year until March 2004.

The project has the backing of the police, Sedgefield Borough Community Safety Partnership and the Ferryhill Crime Prevention Partnership.

The posts are expected to be filled by officers in the Sedgefield Community Force.