STREET wardens on wheels are cracking down on crime across east Durham.

The first street wardens to be provided with cycles are operating in the Wingate area, which includes the rural communities of Station Town, Trimdon Station and Deaf Hill.

Councillor Joan Freak, chairman of Easington District Council's Communities First advisory group, presented the bikes to the wardens to help them speed up their work in the Wingate ward.

The bicycles allow the street wardens to cover the ward more quickly than on foot and be more visible than the car-based wardens.

As well as continuing their fight against crime and grime, the cycling street wardens will also promote cycle safety, by wearing helmets and reflective clothing, as well as encouraging people to turn to cycling for health benefits.

The cycles and accessories have been provided by the Communities First project, which seeks to improve the quality of life in east Durham.

Communities First is funded by the East Durham Local Strategic Partnership, with money from the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund.

Malcolm Vest, Easington Council's environmental co-ordinator said: "The use of cycles by street wardens will have a big impact on the way they service this rural area.

"They will be much more mobile and much more visible to local people, and cycles will allow them to get to places more quickly, using routes such as the Wingate-Station Town cycle path.''

It is also anticipated that response times to incidents will be shortened.