LITTERBUGS and dog foulers in Durham face a crackdown by a new team of environmental wardens.

The trio will tour the district in distinctive environmentally-friendly vehicles to keep an eye on litter blackspots.

People who drop rubbish or let their dog foul pavements or grass will get a friendly warning. But those who continue could end up being fined.

Fouling and litter are issues that annoy people living in and around the city.

Other councils, such as Newcastle and Chester-le-Street, have already started take a tough stance.

Durham City Council hopes people can be educated to look after the environment - one of the wardens' roles will be to raise awareness among local schoolchildren.

The council's Liberal Democrat leader, Sue Pitts, said: "The aim is to create a cleaner, greener and better Durham.

"It does make a huge difference as to how you enjoy your life. A clean environment is altogether a more happy and enjoyable one.

"Initially the wardens will be educating people but if necessary that will be enforced by taking action. I hope that won't be necessary and that people will respond.

"Councils are inspected on this by the Government under the heading green, clean and safe. Liberal Democrats have always been very passionate about the environment so we are happy to go along with it.''

Warden, Ned Tobin, who used to work at the council's Abbey Leisure Centre, said: "We'll be involved in educating kids, going around the schools to educate them not to drop litter.

"We'll have an enforcement role , which will be to penalise people for dropping litter and dog fouling.

"When they do polls, these issues have come top. They are close to people's hearts. They want something doing about it."

Mr Tobin said that the litter problem was not too bad in the city centre, and that the wardens would be targeting blackspots in outlying areas.

Councillor Fraser Reynolds, environment portfolio holder, said: "The neighbourhood wardens will encourage us all to take a new pride in the place we live and work.''