AN army of neighbourhood wardens could soon be working to make the streets of Middlesbrough safer.

Middlesbrough Borough Council has joined forces with Cleveland Police to bid for £1m of Home Office funding for a warden scheme.

A team of 18 wardens would patrol problems area in the borough, collecting information and evidence for the police.

Leader of Middlesbrough council and chairman of Cleveland Police Authority, Councillor Ken Walker, said: "This money would allow us to have 18 wardens, who would be available to be the eyes and the ears of residents.

"We would be able to deal with some of the problems that have come to the forefront in the last year or so.

"This would be a task force that could go into different areas of the town and work with the police."

Among the problems the wardens would address are unruly behaviour on public transport, vandalism and young people becoming a nuisance in shopping precincts, as well as collecting evidence to allow the council to apply for anti-social behaviour orders.

The wardens would be briefed and trained by police and security experts, but Chief Superintendent Dave Lumb, of Cleveland Police, stressed they would not be taking over the police role.

He said "This is about local people looking after local problems that, if left, could become a major problem for the council and the police.

"It's about making the town safe for people to live, work and spend time in.

"It's not policing on the cheap. It's taking every opportunity we have to make the town safe.

"The wardens will not be about intervention, but about gathering information and preventing crimes."

As well as patrolling the streets, the council and the police hope the wardens will inspire people to do more for their community by setting up Neighbourhood Watch schemes and becoming Special Constables.

Coun Walker said yesterday: "This is about making life a misery for the villain rather than the victim. We are not going to tolerate anti-social behaviour."

The results of the bid should be known by September, and, if the council and police are successful in securing funds, it is hoped that the wardens could be on patrol by early next year.

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