One of the most challenging times of my police career was the investigation into the abduction of Hartlepool toddler Rosie Palmer.

We caught the man responsible but too late to save Rosie.

There was understandable public concern when it emerged that the killer had come to the attention of some local agencies in the past, but this information had never been passed on to the police.

An inquiry showed that no-one had been negligent but the nagging thought remained that agencies needed to pool information more effectively if similar tragedies were to be avoided.

Sadly, the horror of Soham seems to have demonstrated there are still lessons to be learned. Once again it appears agencies were not sharing information effectively.

So I was delighted to see first-hand how the North-East is leading the way when it comes to devising a multi-agency approach to detecting and preventing serious crime.

During my visit to the Government Office for the North-East in Newcastle this week, I was briefed on a number of successful initiatives by director of community groups, Alan Brown.

I've spoken before of how the public sector needs motivational leaders who inspire, rather than simply manage, if it is to provide the most efficient and effective service to the public. Mr Brown is a good example. He and his staff certainly motivated me as they outlined how drugs, anti-social behaviour, crime reduction, offenders, community groups and partnership working are all actively being addressed by energetic and dedicated teams, all determined to improving our quality of life and reduce crime.

I was particularly impressed with the Government Agencies Intelligence Network (GAIN) which enables investigative agencies to share intelligence with the aim of disrupting and reducing crime, protecting the environment and minimising fraud from the public purse.

I'm sure, like me, you are surprised to learn that such initiatives are not already common practice across Britain. But this won't be the first time the North-East has delivered a wake-up call to the rest of the country.

With the support of all the regions' police forces and complemented by other agencies, GAIN can make a real and effective impact within our communities. There are individuals, groups and families who are, perhaps, difficult for a single agency or department successfully to target and deal with, and that is where GAIN comes into its own.

It enables a network for enforcement and intelligence officers to develop the full picture in relation to suspects, ranging from paedophiles to drug barons, computer fraudsters to people smugglers. This will allow tailor-made, intelligence led, multi-agency operations to be undertaken more effectively. Not to mention the benefit to the public of removing such hoodlums from the streets.

What we must ensure now is that the finances and resources are found to make this multi-agency approach a permanent fixture.

GAIN is a potent weapon in the fight against those who often regard themselves as untouchable - it would be criminal to waste it.