AN East Durham MP has met Durham's Chief Constable to ensure that crime and anti-social behaviour are being tackled in his constituency.

John Cummings, who represents Easington, held talks with Paul Garvin to assess the effectiveness of new powers of arrest which have been given to officers.

Mr Cummings said: "I am very keen to ensure that the police are using all the new powers that the Labour Government has given them to get to grips with crime and anti-social behaviour."

He said he was particularly concerned about the impact of anti-social behaviour on established communities in east Durham.

The MP said he wanted to ensure that the joint working with the Easington Community Safety Partnership was continuing to tackle local problems.

Following the discussions, which Mr Cummings described as very helpful, Mr Garvin said: "The Durham force is committed to positive policing.

"With the co-operation of the Community Safety Partnership, street wardens and the anti-social behaviour unit in Easington, there have been some notable successes in relation to removing abandoned vehicles, drug-related crime and tackling the quality of life issues raised by Mr Cummings."

During the talks, Mr Cummings also mentioned concerns about the effectiveness of the new police communications system, which has seen calls to local stations redirected to a central control room then redirected to officers on the ground.

He was given a tour of the new communications centre at Aykley Heads police headquarters, in Durham.

The MP was also shown the effectiveness of CCTV cameras in detecting crime.

Mr Cummings said: "I am very impressed with the potential of the CCTV system and I am delighted that bids have been submitted to extend filming coverage of target areas in my constituency.

"The purchase of a new mobile CCTV vehicle, to be used in areas such as Easington Colliery, will clearly prove effective in detecting and preventing criminal activity as well as anti-social behaviour."