SHOPPERS are to be given crime prevention advice over their mobile phones in a ground-breaking police initiative.

Durham Police are the first force in the North-East and among the first in the country to turn to bluetooth technology to convey crime-busting messages to the public.

Crime prevention officer PC Graeme Davison, who is pioneering the scheme, said yesterday that customers in Peterlee town centre, east Durham, would be the first to be targeted.

A Bluetooth proximity marketing device - about the size of a paperback book, will be activated in the town's shopping complex, he said.

It will automatically send out messages to all mobile phones with Bluetooth, when they come into range.

The transmitter has a range of up to ten metres, but PC Davison assured shoppers they would not get bombarded with multiple messages.

He said: "It is sent once and they have the choice of accepting the message or not.

"If they do accept the text, they immediately receive the actual message. It will pop straight up onto the screen of their phone and they will be able to read it straightaway."

The message going out in Peterlee will warn about the dangers of leaving valuables on show in cars and urge shoppers to ensure their purses or wallets are kept safe.

PC Davison said: "There is no cost in sending or receiving the texts.

"It is an innovative use of technology and a direct way of contacting groups who may not respond to the more traditional methods, such as leaflets.

"The device is fairly small, easily transportable and ideally suited to areas where there is a high density of people, such as supermarkets, town centres, pubs, clubs and colleges."

Durham is one of only a handful of police forces in the country to use the technology.

PC Davison envisages deveoping use of Bluetooth further.

"On this occasion, we are sending out crime prevention messages, but it can also be used to send out photographs of missing people or a wide range of other messages linked to policing priorities," he said.