A DECISION on a £48,000 funding bid for two community wardens in Woodnook, Accrington, is expected within the week by Hyndburn Council.

If the proposal by local group Woodnook Forum for Action is successful, two part-time wardens will be employed jointly by environment charity Groundwork and the Council to keep an eye on neighbourhood nuisances, litter, and anything else bothering the residents.

Woodnook Forum, which is a partnership of community groups, police officers and councillors, applied to dip into Hyndburn's £2.91 million allocation of funding from the Government's Neighbourhood Renewal Fund, which was awarded six months ago for a period covering the next three years.

If the application is successful, recruitment for the new posts will start immediately.

Organisers say the two new wardens will wear a special uniform and be recruited locally. They will be responsible for liaising with the police and council officers if they discover any problems.

Groundwork spokesman Lisa Yates said: "We really hope we can achieve this and local residents are waiting anxiously for next week's decision. If it is accepted, it will be of great benefit to the local community.

"The new recruits will be men or women and we hope very much they will be local."

She added: "Residents have been complaining for years about vandalism, fly tipping, nuisance neighbours and gangs of youths. We hope this will improve the situation."

"The wardens will have a small remit, but in time we hope to expand their roll to patrol the local school."

Inspector Phil Cottom of Accrington police backed the project. He said: "We support schemes of this nature, which could make a positive difference to local people."