A team of old-style council workers have held a passing-out parade with a difference before beginning their mission to keep County Durham clean and tidy.

The five-strong squad formed a final muster in Durham before collecting their yellow vans to mark the end of their training as the first group of lengthsmen to be recruited in two decades.

The move follows a successful pilot scheme launched by Durham County Council two years ago to help improve the appearance and upkeep of a County Durham market town.

Former Blue Circle cement worker Kevin Graham took to the streets in and around Stanhope after the county council struck up a partnership with the parish council to re-introduce a lengthsman, or community highway worker, in the area.

Lengthsmen were council workers who were given special responsibility for the general maintenance of specific lengths of roads and public rights of way.

They disappeared about 20 years ago as a result of successive spending cutbacks.

But the Stanhope pilot scheme proved such a success that other town and parish councils in the county have been following suit.

The county has entered into similar arrangements with Belmont, Brandon and Byshottles, Framwellgate Moor, Haswell parish councils and Peterlee Town Council.

The lengthsmen will be responsible for hedge and ditch maintenance, minor drainage works, sign cleaning and other routine maintenance in their respective town and parish council areas.

The county council's local highways inspectors and parish clerks will agree a fortnightly programme of work and will consider requests from people living in the areas.