Pupils in Dipton gathered together to take part in a mass litter pick yesterday as part of a drive to clean up their estate.

The initiative, launched by Derwentside Homes in partnership with Groundwork North East and Durham County Council, took place at the Dipton estate in Stanley.

A group of 12 pupils from Collierley Primary School in Dipton joined in the event, and were flanked by Helen Douglas, Senior Civic Pride Officer at Durham County Council, and officers from Derwentside Homes.

Derwentside Homes targeted litter as part of its Community Investment Strategy which aims to listen to the views of young people when it comes to improving their local environment.

The pupils, all aged between six and 11, took part in the litter pick through Derwentside Homes’ Community Rangers scheme which encourages young people to join in regular community walkabouts.

The Community Rangers scheme teaches young people about good citizenship, the environment and housing issues as well as getting them to recognise unacceptable behaviour such as graffiti, vandalism, litter and waste.

As part of the scheme, Derwentside Homes bulldozed garages in September last year which had become home to gangs of nuisance youths after pupils at Dipton Colliery Primary School complained.

Geraldine Wilcox, Chief Executive for Derwentside Homes, said: “I am delighted with how hard the pupils worked to make a difference to their local community and the results have been fantastic, there’s not a single piece of litter in sight.

“This is another example of how we are working with young people to hear what they have to say so we can take their views into account. As an organisation we work hard to empower young people to make a difference in their communities.”

Dave Grimes, the headteacher of Collierley Primary School in Dipton, said: “I think the Community Rangers scheme is a fantastic initiative as it teaches children to respect the community and look after their local environment.

“The scheme empowers them to make important decisions and become good citizens.”

Helen Douglas, Durham County Council’s Senior Civic Pride Officer, said: "Making County Durham a greener place to live and work is one of the council's key priorities and getting involved in this kind of grass roots project is essential to achieving that aim.

"The litter pick was extremely successful and the children worked very hard.

"The day was also a great example of how the council and its partners can work together to achieve real results."