A DROP-IN centre is to be made available as part of an ongoing initiative to clean up a town's streets.

Sedgefield Community Safety Partnership has joined forces with Sunnydale School, Shildon, to offer the service for those in need of advice.

The initiative follows a four-week clean-up operation in the Jubilee area of the town in February and, if successful, the service could be used in other towns in the Sedgefield borough area.

The first session will be held on Thursday, June 8, at Sunnydale School, between 2pm and 4pm, where community wardens and a local beat officer will offer advice and answer any questions or concerns residents may have.

Helen Stewart, anti-social behaviour reduction co-ordinator for Sedgefield Crime and Disorder Partnership, said: "When we carried out the clean-up operation on the Jubilee estate, people said they felt there was no point of contact for them.

"The drop-in will be run mainly by the wardens and we want people of all ages to have access to it, whether they are young people still at school or the elderly worried about security issues.''

Once up and running, the drop-in will be available once a fortnight on Thursday afternoons.

Residents have already praised the operation, saying it made the area feel cleaner and safer.

The scheme saw police, Sedgefield Borough Council officials, councillors and residents take to the streets to talk about concerns and carry out an intensive clean-up.

During the operation, crime in the area fell by 67 per cent.

The partnership wanted to build on that work and show the community it was committed to maintaining this - and feels the drop-in, along with increased patrols from the wardens, will go a long way to achieving it