AN eight-week village clean-up campaign is to start on Friday.

Durham County Council’s Community Action Team arrives in Dawdon to deal with concerns raised by residents about housing, the environment and health.

Council staff and other agencies taking part will deal with empty properties, clearing rubbish dumped in gardens and on village streets and help with improvements to buildings and abandoned land.

A meeting will be held at Dawdon Youth and Community Centre on Tuesday, September 4 from 3.30pm to 7.00pm where the council can get feedback from residents.

There will also be the chance for people to join weekly walkabouts with the team taking place on four consecutive Thursdays starting on September 14.

Residents are asked to meet at 10.30am outside the community centre.

Neil Laws, the council’s public health and housing manager, said: “The session at the community centre and the walkabouts offer a great opportunity to do this, so I’d encourage as many people as possible to get involved and have their say.”