SPECIAL wardens are set to hit the streets of Stockton to make the town a safer place.

The borough council has been given the green light for the scheme following a successful bid for almost £200,000 from the government.

The authority will match the cash to provide the warden service for a trial period of two years.

The scheme will be managed by the council in partnership with Cleveland police, on behalf of the Safer Stockton partnership.

The first wardens will take to the streets in Hardwick and Thornaby in April.

The council's head of community safety and security, Mr Mike Batty, said the wardens would patrol the pilot areas mainly between 1.30pm and midnight seven days a week.

"Their presence will be highly visible and wherever possible they will patrol on foot," he said. "But it is important to stress they are there as a community resource rather than as enforcers."

The team of wardens will wear a uniform based on smart sportswear so they will be easily recognisable to the community.

Coun Steve Nelson, the council's cabinet member for housing and community safety, said: "This scheme should make a good contribution to reducing crime and disorder which we are committed to doing with the police and other partners.

"If it proves successful, we will look carefully at rolling it out to other areas."

Stockton South MP, Mrs Dari Taylor, said: "I am absolutely delighted that this innovative scheme has won funding."

The wardens' duties will include:

l deterring anti-social behaviour;

l liaising with community police teams;

l collecting information as a basis for enforcement action;

making reassurance calls to members of the public;

l diverting young people from offending by working with youth agencies.

A similar scheme has been successful in Redcar and Cleveland. After a pilot last year, that authority is now planning to operate wardens borough-wide.

Lead councillor for community safety Dave McLuckie stressed that Redcar and Cleveland received no financial help in starting up their project.

"We did it off our own bat and with our own money," said Coun McLuckie. "Our warden scheme is extremely advanced and others will have to go a long way to match it."