A new environmental 'hit squad' has been blitzing fly-tipping hotspots across North Tyneside.
North Tyneside Council has scrambled a new team of wardens dedicated to targeting specific areas of the borough where there has been reports of litter and fly-tipping.
And in its first week, the new team has collected 12 tonnes of rubbish from around the borough.
Their work will complement the work already done by the council's existing teams to stamp out fly-tipping and litter in the borough.
The new team will focus on addressing any issues with fly-tipping and littering, while also working alongside the council's Community Protection team.
As part of these efforts, the council will also be rolling out hundreds of new, larger-capacity bins for households.
Coun Carl Johnson, cabinet member with responsibility for the Environment and Transport, said: "We have always pledged to be a listening council and the actions we are taking are as a direct result from discussions with our residents.
"North Tyneside is a great place to live, work and visit and we are committed to keeping it this way - so we won't allow a minority to spoil this for our residents and visitors who treat it with the respect it so richly deserves.
"This new team will help us to maintain our borough to the immensely high standards we have set for ourselves and I look forward to our residents seeing the benefits they bring.
"We would still always encourage members of the public to do their bit too by making sure they throw their litter away properly and report any issues, such as untidy streets and overflowing bins, to us. We also run a number of clean-up campaigns which people can join in to help tidy their local area."
One of the new wardens, Gary Ashburner, said: "I'm out here to try and make a difference with the team. We took over 12 tonnes of rubbish in our first week.
"I would like to make a big enough difference so we can start seeing how much of a difference this team makes."
Litter and fly-tipping issues can be reported by filling in an online form at https://my.northtyneside.gov.uk/category/76/report-it and find out how to dispose of your waste responsibly here: https://my.northtyneside.gov.uk/category/82/household-waste-recycling-centretip.
