HUNDREDS of people have backed moves to improve housing in Hartlepool's New Deal for Communities (NDC) area.

Work is under way to develop a community housing plan, and more than 500 people recently attended an event in the town's Middleton Grange Shopping Centre.

Organised by Social Regeneration Consultants on behalf of NDC, an exhibition and questionnaires explained the options for the future of housing and the environment in the NDC area, West Central Hartlepool.

All the information collected at the event will be included in a forthcoming report by the consultants.

NDC manager Malcolm Walker said: "The whole basis of the NDC initiative is that it is resident-led, and we were delighted with the turn out.