AN environmental project responsible for clearing tons of colliery waste from County Durham's beaches is going on the Internet.

Turning the Tide, which was a hit with local surfers, is hoping for similar success with web surfers.

The website celebrates the project's achievements during the past five years and has information on environmental and community schemes in east Durham.

Ray Leonard, Turning the Tide's project leader, said: "Consultation with the local community is central to every project we undertake.

"We wanted the website to reflect that involvement, so we've included a community forum, which is a message board for people to post their opinions or recollections of east Durham, past and present.

"The best thing is, because it's over the Internet, we're hoping that ex-patriots will log on and share their experiences."

The Turning the Tide team is touring Durham's schools to talk about its work.

Mr Leonard said: "We've been overwhelmed with the enthusiasm shown by local schools, who want to know more about what's happening to their environment."

The initiative has spent £10m on restoring County Durham's coastline, £4.5m of which was National Lottery funding from the Millennium Commission.