Police are urging supermarkets and local authorities to introduce safety zones around cash machines to prevent thefts and fraud.

Asda in Stanley is thought to be the first in the North-East to take up the advice from Durham Constabulary and is having a 4ft deep by 20ft wide yellow box painted outside its three cash machines on Sunday.

Customers will be asked to stand outside the zone while people make their withdrawals.

The idea is to stop people 'shoulder surfing' - looking over someone's shoulder when they are entering their card number before stealing or counterfeiting their card.

Such crime has risen by 81 per cent nationally since last year following the introduction of the chin and pin system which makes it more difficult for people use credit cards fraudulently in face-to-face transactions.

Asda's loss prevention manager Phil Jefferson said: "It is a bit disconcerting when you are at a cash machine and you have people looking over your shoulder.

"People behind you can see what you are doing and type the number into their mobile and then they have your personal identification number. It is as simple as that.

"The new boxes are to reassure people that those behind them cannot see their detail and give them a comfort zone."

The safety zone scheme was pilot in Manchester last year.

Greater Manchester Police found that recorded crime at one cash point fell from 14 incidents to one.

Detective Constable Peter Eddy, of the cheque and credit fraud office, said: "If you are withdrawing your money and someone is standing too close it is not a nice feeling.

"It is only a yellow box but it does seem to work. It is strange but during the pilot they found people walking down the pavement would actually walk around it rather then through it.

"If it proves to be a success we hope to roll it out across the county."

Supermarkets across the county, Durham County Council and Darlington Borough Council are both considering the getting involved in the scheme.