DOG fouling, truancy and untaxed vehicles will be tackled in a week-long blitz aimed at improving community safety in Hartlepool.

From Monday Hartlepool Council, working with Cleveland Police, Housing Hartlepool and Cleveland Fire Brigade, will tackle a range of issues that impact directly on residents' quality of life on the Dyke House estate.

The move is part of the successful Operation Clean Sweep initiative.

The campaign was launched by town mayor councillor Stuart Drummond in 2003, and covered most parts of the town.

The format was changed slightly last year to create three separate clean sweep initiatives - in the north, centre and south of the town - each with its own particular focus.

The focus is currently: north - community safety; central - highways improvements; south - environmental improvements.

Coun Drummond said: "The new format enables us to concentrate specifically on a key issue for a longer period of time, hopefully leading to greater improvements."

Work carried out on the Dyke House estate will include the cutting back of overgrown shrubs and street light maintenance.

Environmental enforcement officers will be patrolling the area to clampdown on problems such as dog fouling and untaxed and abandoned vehicles.

There will also be a dog micro-chipping event at Healthy Pets Plus in Raby Road from 11am to 2pm on Tuesday.

In addition, police officers and community support officers will be carrying out regular patrols, and a truancy patrol will be taking place.

A crime prevention bus will be at a number of different locations throughout the week: Monday, Avondale Centre car park; Tuesday, Grainger Street; Wednesday, Chester Road; Thursday, Ivy Grove and Friday, Milbank Road.

The anti-social behaviour team and police will be patrolling the area, and trading standards officers will be raising awareness of issues such as illegal money-lending and cold calling.

They will also be attempting to identify traders entering the area to check they are trading fairly and visiting shops selling age-restricted products to ensure they are complying with the law.

A number of areas have benefited from the initiative, including Rossmere Park, which has had park benches painted, shrub beds and trees tidied, hedges cut back, bat and bird boxes made and increased litter, graffiti and dog fouling patrols.

For more information, call 01429-523680.