IT was game, set and match yesterday as Sue Barker talked rubbish with a group of students from a Stockton school.

Ms Barker, who shares her name with the famous TV presenter and tennis player, is Stockton Borough Council's new litter education officer, and was on hand to shoot tennis balls into a wheelie bin with youngsters from Norton School yesterday as part of a scheme to clean up Stockton.

Ms Barker will be building on the success of the council's ongoing programme of work in schools with its Tidy Schools scheme and promoting good citizenship and responsible disposal of litter.

She will also be raising awareness with schools and businesses, because the council believes education is the foundation for ensuring more responsible attitudes and behaviour towards waste and litter.

Ms Barker will be working closely with the council's enforcement team to target trouble spots and set up fixed penalty fines of £25 for offenders.

Ms Barker said: "Stockton is a great place to live and we all have a responsibility to ensure its environment is looked after.

"I want to promote the fact that everyone in our borough, whatever their age, shares a responsibility for cleanliness of the area."