FIRE services in the North-East have been awarded £1.4m to tackle the growing menace of arson.

Projects across the region will benefit from the handout, including a new investigation team, based in Newcastle, which will develop a regional approach to detecting arson and prosecuting offenders.

An arson task force in Tyne and Wear has received £243,000, the largest amount awarded to a project outside London.

The area's fire and rescue service and police are hunting Britain's most prolific arsonists, who have targeted haulage compounds in Tyne and Wear since 1998.

A total of 17 compounds have suffered arson attacks, causing £18m in damage.

The region has been given the money as part of a £9m national handout by the Government's Arson Control Forum Implementation Fund.

Fire Safety Minister Phil Hope said the money would help projects to fight the menace of malicious fires.

He said: "Arson is the single largest cause of fires in the UK.

"It destroys people's lives and costs over £2bn a year.

"Through the fund, innovative new ideas, as well as tried and tested schemes, will build on the success of existing projects and help in the fight against malicious fires.

"The Fire and Rescue Services Bill will change the focus of the service to place a greater emphasis on fire prevention - and arson control is a key element of this and the wider modernisation agenda of the fire and rescue service."

The Government has invested £43m in community fire safety and arson reduction in England and Wales.

Projects aimed at driving down the number of arson attacks, such as car clearance schemes, have also been awarded money.

Schemes in County Dur-ham and Darlington, Stockton and South Tyneside will benefit.

Over three years, Cleveland's arson task force has been awarded £180,00, County Durham and Darlington's car clearance scheme was given £80,000 and Stockton's car project will benefit from £116,000.

In Tyne and Wear, the regional fire investigation team will receive £192,000 over three years and the arson task force has been given £497,000 over the same period.