AN intensive clean-up of Close House and Eldon Lane that aims to cut crime and anti-social behaviour will take place next month.

Wear Valley District Council has been issued a Government grant to complete a pilot improvement scheme.

Close House and Eldon Lane were selected because of low-quality housing levels.

Both areas had problems with absentee landlords, resulting in rundown properties.

They have also had problems with anti-social behaviour, fly-tipping, arson, burglaries and abandoned vehicles.

Teams of street wardens, police and cleaners will be sent to the area for a week. They will patrol the area, install cameras to track criminal activity, clean up rubbish areas and remove abandoned vehicles.

Local residents attended a public meeting at Prince Bishops Community Primary School, in Coundon Grange, with Wear Valley district councillors on Monday night to discuss the scheme.

Chris Walton, Wear Valley District Council's tenancy enforcement manager for Bishop Auckland, said: "Rather than have the whole district doing different things, the Government initiative was to focus on individual areas.

"During this week, we are sending down extra street wardens, cleaners and police, and our aim is to make sure the area becomes cleaner, greener and happier.

"We are going to have security cameras down there for the whole week, so we might be able to catch the individuals causing the problems and prosecute them.

"We want to be clear to people in the area that the work we are doing is not duplicating the regeneration work that has already been done.

"If the scheme is deemed a success, we will carry on doing similar projects."

A resident of Stanley Street, in Close House, who did not want to be named, said: "I think the intensive clean-up is a great idea. Some of the people who live here are scared to even leave their homes due to the vandals wandering around."

Eldon Lane underwent a five year environmental facelift as part of the Dene Valley Renewal Area scheme in 2005.