STREET wardens are ringing the changes at Middlesbrough for everyone's benefit.

The town's 68 wardens, who deal with about 1,000 incidents a month, can be contacted on two new landlines from this weekend.

Calls to the new numbers will be answered by the wardens' control room, which will be able to pinpoint where wardens are on patrol and enable staff to co-ordinate an effective response.

The wardens, who deal with a range of incidents from neighbourhood nuisance and anti social behaviour to fly tipping and graffiti during their seven-days-a-week patrols, have previously had three mobile contact numbers.

These are being replaced with new Minicom land lines.

Councillor Barry Coppinger, Middlesbrough Council's executive member for community safety and leisure, said: "The street wardens play an integral role in reducing crime and fear of crime in Middlesbrough.

"The number change, coupled with changes in how we field calls, will make for an even better service, so that local people can be assured of a prompt and effective response."

* A number of wardens will be running in Sunday's Tees Pride marathon, with the new telephone numbers (01642) 228500 and 228700 printed on their T-shirts. The numbers are also on 30,000 leaflets being distributed.