PEOPLE have a chance to win a visit to Cleveland Police's air support unit if they attend a crime-fighting information event.

The visit will be up for grabs in a prize draw at the session to be held at the People's Centre, in Raby Road, Hartlepool, on Thursday, to promote a new Neighbourhood Watch initiative known as Ringmaster.

The winner and a friend will be accompanied to the unit, at Durham Tees Valley Airport, to get a first-hand taste of what it is like to tackle crime from the air, although they will not be allowed to fly.

Angela Storm, from the neighbourhood policing community co-ordination support team, said: "The Ringmaster system is innovative, in that it delivers crime messages to people on a ward or street basis via e-mail, text message, mobile telephone or home telephone.

"We want to get 10,000 people signed up by December next year and thought that this event would be a good way of letting residents and outside agencies know how they can get involved."

Representatives of the air support unit will be at the event, from 10am to noon, and there will be a talk by Hartlepool police district commander, Superintendent Steve Ashman.

More information is available on 01429-287217, or www.hartlepoolnhw.org