A NEW team of community safety wardens begin patrolling the streets in four areas of Redcar and Cleveland next week.

Four teams of two wardens are lined up to work in Coatham, Skelton, South Bank and Grangetown and West Dyke and Newcomen, in Redcar.

The scheme is the brainchild of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, which has pledged to have wardens operating in all areas of the borough by January.

The wardens deal with minor incidents of anti-social behaviour, littering and dog fouling and report broken street lights and holes in roads to the council.

Councillor Dave McLuckie, lead member for community safety with the council, said: "I am delighted to see the introduction of another phase of the warden scheme.

"Wherever the wardens have been placed, the community warms to them immediately and they become an integral part of the community."

Mike Hardman, the council's assistant director for neighbourhood services, said: "We back them up with sweeping teams to tackle cleanliness issues and are particularly keen to prosecute illegal dumpers, litterers and dog foulers. We really do mean business."

The fourth and final phase of the scheme, due to be implemented on January 7, will cover St Germains, Longbeck and Marske, Ormesby and Nunthorpe, Lockwood, Saltburn and Belmont, Guisborough and Hutton.