The arrival of street wardens in a neighbourhood has been welcomed.

A 12-strong team started work yesterday - dedicated solely to the Whinney Banks, West Lane and Newport areas of Middlesbrough.

Joan Ford, who is chairwoman of the West Middlesbrough Neighbourhood Trust overseeing a £52m revamp of the community, said: "Just one of the many things we are trying to do here in west Middlesbrough is make our neighbourhoods safer places and our residents feel safer when they are out and about and at home.

"Giving the people of west Middlesbrough their own dedicated team of street wardens goes some way towards achieving this goal.

"As a resident, I, for one will feel safer knowing there are wardens patrolling our streets from morning till late at night, seven days a week and I am sure other residents will take comfort from this too."