A TEAM of street wardens has got new powers to crack down on people who blight the neighbourhoods they patrol.

The Wear Valley Street Wardens are now authorised to issue on the spot fines to litter louts, irresponsible dog owners and fly tippers.

For the next few days, wardens will hand out warning cards to anyone they see dropping litter in the street, failing to clean up their dog's faeces, dumping rubbish or known owners of abandoned cars. But by next week they will issue fixed penalties of £50 to offenders and in serious cases or if fines are not paid fines could rise to £2,500 for litter and £1,000 for dog mess.

The areas covered are Woodhouse Close Estate, in Bishop Auckland, St Helen Auckland, Coundon and Leeholme.

Scheme manager Roger Ward said: "Wear Valley District Council's community services and housing departments have worked together to authorise this initiative to supplement the work of enforcement officers.

"At first, we will warn people they are committing an offence but after a few days it will become the real thing.

"Residents report litter and dog fouling as concerns in their area and we want to help clean them up, protecting the environment is one of our main aims. If an area looks tidy residents feel happier and safer, but if it is a mess it encourages more people to dump rubbish."