Northumberland towns to benefit from funding to help keep them clean

Towns across Northumberland are to share in more than £55,000 of additional community clean-up funding.

This award for the county council comes from the Government's £10million High Streets Community Clean-Up Fund and will be used to help existing groups to carry out community-led street and town-centre cleans.

Around £12,000 of the funding will be used for graffiti-removal kits that will be offered free to community groups; litter-picking equipment for the existing loan scheme or permanently for litter champions; Love Northumberland-branded tabards; and prizes for winners at the Love Northumberland awards.

The remaining funds will be distributed through the towns of Morpeth, Alnwick, Berwick, Hexham, Blyth, Ashington, Cramlington, Ponteland, West Bedlington, Haltwhistle, Prudhoe and Amble to organise clean-up events.

Coun Glen Sanderson, cabinet member for the environment and local services, said: "I am grateful to the Government for this useful award of funding.

"We're so proud of our high streets and want to do all we can to keep them looking clean and tidy.