A PIONEERING scheme to reduce anti-social behaviour in an area of Darlington is to be extended.

Yesterday, it was announced that the dispersal order around Nightingale Avenue in the Springfield area of town will run for another three months.

The order, which prohibits groups of youngsters gathering in the dispersal zone and can also exclude them from the area for 24 hours, was due to finish tomorrow.

However, because of its success at reducing anti-social behaviour, police and council officials have agreed to let it run until the end of April.

The order, which was the first of its kind in the borough and followed a similar scheme in Chester-le-Street, was set up after police and council wardens were called out to the area 341 times in 18 months to deal with anti-social behaviour.

Darlington community inspector Brian Maudling said in the order's first six weeks there were no young people stopped in the dispersal area.

However, since the middle of December, close to 70 young people have been spoken to.

In some cases, their parents have also had letters to written to them.

He said: "It's fantastic that it's going to be allowed to continue.

"It was starting to drift back to what it was so we need to put some more resources and attention into it.

"What we'll be doing is, over this weekend, we'll be knocking on doors in that area to let people know that it's back on."

Insp Maudling added that there may be some prosecutions arising out of the dispersal order in the near future.

Councillor Bill Dixon, the member for community and public protection, said he was delighted the order had been extended.

He added: "We're very pleased with the way this has gone .

"But we're even more delighted with the responses from the residents.

"We surveyed them like we did before and we had absolutely no negative comments.

"Everybody said it has improved the quality of life dramatically and we've seen very little evidence of displacement of trouble to other areas.

"The council's now actively working on an exit strategy because we eventually want the community to go back to normal and be self-policing."