BINMEN are going to be forced to train as grave-diggers and gardeners to cut costs.

And grave-diggers may be put to work clearing up dog dirt if the "multi-skilling" scheme goes ahead.

More than 100 Darlington Borough Council workers will be affected by the plans.

The environmental workers, who include grass-cutters, street-cleaners and road-repairers, will all be forced to learn each others' jobs.

The pool of newly trained street scene workers will then be divided into five teams, with each group assigned to one of five areas of the borough.

The idea is that the workers become familiar with their patch, and also become well-known to residents. The multi-skilling should also save the council money by streamlining services.

Yesterday, council bosses could not say how the change would affect the workers' pay, but said there was ongoing talks with staff.

There are also plans for groups of volunteers to team up with the Street Scene workers for projects such as litter-picking.

A council spokeswoman said that the "majority of staff had been very receptive" and that the move had the support of the unions.

The teams will be responsible for dealing with rubbish collections, ground maintenance, dog mess, litter bins, street cleaning, bulky household collections, improving parks and open spaces, and carrying out minor highway maintenance.

Training will start in the next couple of months, and the scheme should be in place by July.

A council spokeswoman said: "Obviously not everyone will be able do everything, but multi-skilled staff will lead to a more efficient service, which will benefit residents.

"A job evaluation exercise, which looks at the pay of all employees in the council, has been ongoing for some time, and the results will not be known until later this year."

The disposal of clinical and trade waste, gully flushing, household clearance and mechanical sweeping will continue to be carried out on a borough-wide basis.