Newcastle City Council struggles to fill warden posts

Newcastle City Council has been forced to re-advertise the positions after failing to find new recruits

Plans for wardens to combat anti-social behaviour across Newcastle have suffered a setback, with council bosses struggling to fill the roles.

Newcastle City Council has pledged to send staff to patrol trouble hotspots as part of a £1.5m investment.

But officials say they will try to make the job "more exciting" by offering a higher salary, having been forced to re-advertise the 15 posts.

The positions now come with a slightly improved wage of up to £22,777.

The job ads call for "dynamic, robust individuals, who want to make a difference in the community".

'Eyes and ears'

Councillor Lesley Storey, the cabinet member responsible for community safety, told colleagues she had hoped the wardens would have been in place by now but the local authority was "looking at things we can do to make that post more exciting to people".

She told the authority's overview and scrutiny committee: "Unfortunately we have not been able to recruit. I think recruitment across the country, across all areas, is an issue.

"Hopefully those wardens will be in place very soon. They are really key, critical roles. They are the eyes and ears of the community, so I want to see them in post right across the city."

The roles had been advertised in the summer but the council re-advertised them last month, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.