THE FORMER mayor of Darlington has defended her ward after it recorded the second highest anti-social behaviour incidents in the town last year.

Councillor Eleanor Lister, who represents Northgate and was Mayor in 2006, said the high number of nightclubs and takeaways distorted the figures.

She also said the ward's large amount of community groups were a credit to the area.

"I know a number of residents complain about the mess and the litter left after nights out," she said. "There's the nightclub in Gladstone Street, there are the takeaways, and we do suffer from that.

"We put leaflets out, asking people not to put their bin bags out early and barely anyone does.

"Then people dump their pizza boxes in the street on the way home. The local beat officer and the PCSO are good and work well with the community."

"We put lots of special events on and it's a shame we get bad publicity. in this way.

"Residents really have worked hard"

"We have a landlord accreditation scheme, which means we don't have to chase up landlords so much.

The Friends of North Lodge Park do a lot of very good work, and the Northgate Community Partnership have worked well with a number of groups.

"The people who live at Westbrook Villas have also started off a wildlife dene.