Hope £1.8m litter blitz will restore town's pride

Clean-up squads will be visiting every ward in Hartlepool

A £1.8m town clean-up operation will take place after a consultation found mess was "eroding" residents' pride.

Hartlepool Council said the project will tackle fly tipping, litter, vandalism and making communities feel safer.

Council leader Pamela Hargreaves said residents had made their views clear about the mess which was eroding people's "sense of wellbeing and pride".

The funding includes £750,000 from the government's Pride in Place Impact Fund and it will be spent over the next 18 months.

Extra staff will be brought in to carry out the additional work which will be additional to usual cleaning services.

Part of the operation is being funding from the Pride in Place Impact Fund

Hartlepool Labour MP Jonathan Brash said it will be "the biggest clean-up operation in the town's history".

Every ward will be visited over the next few months by clean-up squads.

Money will also be spent on extra CCTV cameras to catch fly tippers and vandalised play equipment will be repaired or replaced, the council said.