CHRIS GRIMWOOD has created a calendar for her village - but in place of rolling countryside and quaint houses, her publication features rotting rubbish and smashed windows.

Inspired by calendars showing pictures of areas such as Durham City, Mrs Grimwood decided to create one to send to her local council showing scenes from her County Durham village.

But in place of panoramic shots, she has featured vandalised gardens and derelict homes.

March shows a rotting settee abandoned beside a house, April a rubbish-strewn garden against a backdrop of graffiti and September a boarded-up house with an overgrown backyard.

All the photographs were taken since the turn of the year in streets surrounding her house on the White Hill Crescent Estate, in Pelton Fell, and sent to Chester-le-Street District Council.

In her covering letter, Mrs Grimwood told the council: "I challenge you to hang this calendar on your wall and look at it every day of the forthcoming year.

"My family and I are expected by Chester-le-Street council to accept these surroundings until they see fit to redevelop the area.

"At the end of the day, you can choose whether you place this on your wall and look at it daily, or you can put it in the bin. Unfortunately I have no other choice."

The area is in line for regeneration soon and the council is carrying out consultations with tenants over improvements.

Although Mrs Grimwood is aware of the council's intentions to improve the area, she is concerned that until then her family will have to live in what she describes as squalor.

Housing manager Brian O'Doherty said: "We've done consultation on the estate through a variety of meetings and questionnaires and now we're actually working with some resident representatives to finalise the actual development brief for the estate. The brief will outline what parts of the estate are to be redeveloped and what elements the council feels are necessary for regeneration."

Mr O'Doherty said the estate was also regularly inspected by housing officers who reported incidents of fly-tipping.