A LOCAL authority's campaign to clean up streets has won an award.

Darlington Borough Council won the New Programme of the Year honour at the annual People and Places Awards, run by environmental charity Encams.

The campaign, backed by The Northern Echo, was also recognised with the runner-up award in the Best Management of Litter and Refuse category.

Launched in November 2002, the anti-litter initiative has included running educational programmes in schools, signing 200 companies up to a Tidy Trader charter and installing hundreds of bins in the borough.

More than 600 people caught dropping litter have been fined, and 80 offenders have been named in the council's Town Crier magazine.

The Encams People and Places Awards focus on how organisations have worked with the community and developed ways of improving cleanliness.

Chris McEwan, the council's cabinet member for community protection, said: "It really is a credit to the hard work of local people and the council's anti-litter team.

"However, this is not a sign to become complacent.

"There are still a small number of litter-louts across the borough, and the anti-litter campaign will continue to target such behaviour."

Proposals for reducing litter further during the remainder of the year will be discussed at a council meeting on Tuesday, March 30.