ONGOING efforts to improve street lighting and make people in Hartlepool feel safer have been given a boost.

Earlier this week, Hartlepool Borough Council's grants committee approved funding of £10,000 towards the cost of a social lighting programme.

The money is part of a sum of £50,000 allocated by the council from its 2003/04 capital budget to implement community safety projects that benefit local residents.

Projects must be associated with, and contribute to, the Hartlepool Community Safety Strategy, which seeks to address six main issues - drugs, house burglary, vehicle crime, commercial crime, anti-social behaviour and fear of crime.

The social lighting programme was launched in 1999 and has funded almost 100 street lights.

This latest money is expected to fund ten lights.