AN army of schoolchildren is being enlisted to help clean up the borough.

Throughout the summer the borough's adult wardens will be attending community events throughout Parks and Walcot, persuading children to become junior wardens.

They were due to start their tour at Parks Youth Centre in Marlowe Avenue today.

The Junior Warden Scheme was launched by Swindon Council to encourage bands of supervised children to clean up their own areas.

Plans include litter clear-ups and the removal of graffiti in some of the borough's most deprived areas.

A spin-off from the Adult Wardens Scheme, already running in Swindon, junior wardens have also been successfully piloted in the north of England and the hope is that the scheme will catch on here too.

Swindon Council's Mark Walker said: "Throughout the summer, the adult wardens will be attending a variety of community events in Parks and Walcot to sign up children interested in becoming junior wardens.

"The plan is to equip them with T-shirts, badges and award them with incentives for their services to the scheme.

"We're also hoping to get into schools and work in conjunction with other community agencies to really get these children involved in their local environment.

"Over the coming months we'll also be organising some large community clear-ups.

"It's a great way of involving children in the community. We hope to have lots of willing recruits."

Togged up in their own junior warden T-shirts and badges and working under special supervision, the children are due to begin work in earnest in the autumn.

Further information on how to sign up for the scheme will be featured in the Evening Advertiser in the coming weeks.