A CASH boost of £160,000 is to help continued efforts to rejuvenate a run-down area of Middlesbrough.

The money, from Middlesbrough Council's Neighbourhood Renewal Fund, will help pay for the extension of a pilot scheme by Tees Valley Housing Group (TVHG), which is helping to create a brighter future for North Ormesby.

The North Ormesby Neighbourhood Management pilot scheme aims to tackle the fear of crime and anti-social behaviour and improve the general appearance of the area.

Funding for the scheme, which is managed by TVHG, having been established by the council in 2003, had been due to run out in June this year. It will now run until March 2008.

David Francis, neighbourhood manager, said: "We have done a lot since the beginning of the Neighbourhood Management pilot, but there is still a lot of work to do to make sure we are ready to step aside and leave North Ormesby in 2008.

"The results of some of our surveys tell us we are doing some excellent work in changing life in the area.

"But this extra money means we can keep going and continue making a real difference with sustainable change."

The area has already benefited from the installation of alley gates to deter criminals, as well as improved street cleaning and refuse collection.

A tenant intervention officer has been put in place, while a young persons' group has also been set up and project co-ordinator Rayees Rashid has run DJ workshops, helping to bring the pilot scheme closer to people of all ages.

Councillor Ron Lowes, Middlesbrough Council's executive member for transport, said: "These are exciting times for North Ormesby and the next few years will see dramatic changes throughout the area.

"I welcome the extension of the neighbourhood management initiative which will oversee this process."

Major investment in the redevelopment of the Trinity Estate in North Ormesby is bringing medical facilities and homes to the neighbourhood.

Phase one of a development to build about 150 homes of mixed type and tenure in the Trinity Crescent area of the estate has already been agreed by Middlesbrough Council's planning committee.