RESIDENTS of Norton have pledged to wrest control of their village from Stockton council.

Two public meetings in six days resulted in villagers agreeing to establish a parish council.

More than 100 locals attended a meeting on Thursday of last week and 54 people signed a petition saying they were in favour of a parish council.

The high level of support follows several clashes between villagers and the borough over the standard of services it provides for Norton.

The second meeting was held on Wednesday in the village community centre on the green.

Mr Graham Mitchell, a former sheriff of Cleveland, chaired the meeting. He told the assembly: "We're all here tonight because we have a great concern for the village. We have seen a lot recently that we didn't like in the village and think a parish council will redress that."

Residents were told there were 16 parish councils in the Stockton borough. Norton was the only significant area not to have one.

"I think Norton qualifies as one of the larger and better jewels in Stockton's crown," he said. "Unfortunately, I have had the feeling that over the past few years that jewel is losing its sparkle."

He listed several areas where Stockton had not delivered the best service.

They included increased traffic and parking problems; the cutting of grass on the green; problems with falling leaves - both as a health hazard on the streets and choking up the gutters; litter; and dog dirt.

"All these contribute to making the place look run down, and this leads to an increase in vandalism," he said. The lack of public toilets in the village was also highlighted.

He stressed the borough had also made some improvements. "Good developments have been the street lighting, wheelie bins, and the one way system on the green - which was introduced after proper and sensible consultation.

"But the balance sheet says things are not as good as they were or as they should be. Stockton Borough Council has limited resources but it has not applied them sensibly. There is a lot of waste, which shows a conspicuous lack of common sense or management responsibility."

The meeting formed a fact-finding committee of ten to look in detail at the setting up of a parish council and discuss where the parish boundaries would be set.

To establish a council, villagers will have to present a petition to the Secretary of State, signed by ten per cent of the electoral roll.

A progress report will be given to a further meeting in the community centre on Thursday, August 17. It is hoped the chairman of Egglescliffe Parish Council will speak.