YOUNG people who spent hours cleaning up the Plank Lane area of Leigh have been entered into a Police Make a Difference campaign.

Volunteers from the Plank Lane estate took to the streets as part of a major clean-up and refurbishment project to give the area a brighter future.

The Plank Lane Community Group successfully applied to Wigan Council to lease two houses on the estate, off Mount Street, to use as their headquarters.

To brighten up the buildings and their surroundings the council's People and Places Programme donated £1,500 together with £6,000 from Leigh Police. The Youth Service provided staff to support and supervise the project.

The youngsters spent a week putting the houses in order for their opening early this year. The hours put in during the refurbishment will help them achieve the Millennium Volunteers Award, which goes to everyone who does 100 hours work on the scheme.

The scheme has also been entered into Greater Manchester Police's Make a Difference campaign, which encourages young people to reduce levels of crime by involving them in projects on their doorstep. The winners receive £2,000 and will be announced early next year.

Plank Lane community police officer Steve Ridsdale, who has helped organise the scheme, he said: "I would like to thank residents and youngsters who have been involved and I hope they are pleased with the end result."