A SCHEME aimed at getting schoolchildren to take more of a pride in their community is to be launched in Parks and Walcot.

The Junior Warden Scheme, a spin-off from the street warden initiative designed to make neighbourhoods cleaner and safer places to live, will see volunteer children playing their part.

Although in its early stages, Swindon Council hopes to have a pool of children to help pick up litter and clean graffiti, in some of the most deprived areas of the borough, by the autumn.

The children will be equipped with a T-shirt and badge and under special supervision will be given a vital role in sprucing up their designated areas.

In return, the recruits will be offered cut-price cinema tickets and free admission to Swindon Town games at the County Ground as reward for their efforts.

Maria Nowell, 50, head teacher of Holy Family Primary School in Priory Road, Park North, said the scheme was a good idea in principle.

She said: "Anything that teaches children to look after and take a pride in their environment has to be worthwhile.

"In principle the scheme sounds like a good idea. It's good to involve children in initiatives like this.

"We do encourage our children to take a pride in the environment and community so this sounds like a natural extension of the skills they learn in the classroom.

"Children are very sensitive about the world in which they live and learning about looking after the environment can only be beneficial to everyone."

Adult wardens have hit the streets of Parks and Walcot in a three-year £270,000 scheme funded by the Government, Swindon Council and other agencies.

The eight-warden scheme was launched earlier this month to target vandalism, litter and criminal damage.

They have been described as being the next step up from Neighbourhood Watch and are expected to alert the police to serious incidents and intervene if necessary with minor offences.