LOCKING up at night isn't in the job description for one new caretaker - who has been given responsibility for looking after moorland settlements.

Simon Taylor has been taken as a community caretaker for Castleton, Commondale and Westerdale on the North York Moors.

His duties will include collecting litter, cutting thistles, clearing snow and making sure the communities are well looked after.

Simon, who lives in Westerdale, said: "This is an exciting project. Additional employment has been created in the area which will result in important jobs getting done for the benefit of the whole community."

Simon is the first community caretaker to be taken on under the Farm and Rural Community Scheme, jointly funded by the national park authority, the Countryside Agency, Yorkshire Forward and the EU.

And the initiative will see him working directly for the community groups in the area, undertaking work on a self-employed basis.

Linda Grout, from the Castleton Community Group and Danby Parish Council, said: "Having a caretaker has been a dream the area has had for many years. We now have one and it is up to the communities of Castleton, Commondale and Westerdale to make it a success."

The appointment is initially for a year as part of a new approach to support farming and rural communities.