THOUSANDS of homes in Redcar and Cleveland are involved in a new wastepaper recycling initiative which will help raise money for a children's charity.

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's pilot scheme covering 30,000 homes in Redcar, Guisborough, Saltburn, Marske and New Marske, involves a regular "blue bag" collection of old newspapers.

Contractors Cheshire Recycling Limited, which deals with 145 councils nationwide, will donate £1 to Save the Children for every tonne of paper recovered in the kerbside collections.

Councillor Brian Hogg, the authority's lead member for sustainable environment, said: "We are delighted to be starting such a worthwhile initiative and giving charity a boost.

"The Government is setting all councils very challenging recycling targets and we are determined to match them over the coming years. It's going to take people a little while to get used to the blue bag system but we are confident it's going to be a success."

A telephone helpline has been set up to answer any concerns from residents, with staff briefed on the 14 most common queries. Contact (01642) 771232.