SPRING may still be a long way off, but a North-East council is rushing to clean up its borough so flowers can bloom on time.

The Street Scene teams at Darlington Borough Council are concentrating on maintenance jobs, such as removing graffiti, and cleaning street furniture, in the winter months.

They are hoping to complete these jobs in time to fully prepare the flowers and flowerbeds for the full bloom in spring.

Stephen Harker, council cabinet member for consumer and environmental services, said: "The winter programme is a great way for the Street Scene team to deal with long-running issues that may trouble them in the future.

"By dealing with them now, they will be able to concentrate on different issues in spring and summer."

Street Scene was launched in August, with each team assigned its own area of Darlington Borough to maintain and improve.

The teams also encourage residents to take greater care of their area.