THE North-East is the safest of any region in the country when it comes to crime, a major conference has heard.

The conference, held in Billingham, Teesside, on Friday, discussed crime and community safety, and was thought to be the first of its kind in the region.

It involved a number of partnership organisations, including Cleveland Police, the North-East Assembly and One NorthEast.

Issues discussed included drug treatment, improving public confidence and domestic violence.

One of the speakers, Leigh Lewis, the Home Office permanent secretary with responsibility for crime and policing, said the recent British Crime Survey showed that the North-East was felt to be the safest region in England.

He praised initiatives in the North-East that are tackling anti-social behaviour, including neighbourhood street wardens in Middlesbrough.

Mr Lewis said that although crime was going down, most people thought it was increasing. He said: "We have got to go on telling people the facts, although not pretending that everything is perfect."

Alan Brown, director of the communities group at the Government Office for the North-East, said: "The North-East region has achieved major reductions in crime over the past ten years, and in the area of burglary to dwellings and vehicle crime, the number of victims has been more than halved."

A debate took place over plans for a pilot scheme in Middlesbrough, in which doctors will be able to prescribe heroin to addicts.

Research shows that about 60 per cent of offenders in the area commit crime to buy drugs.

Cleveland Chief Constable Sean Price said: "We have got a chance of stopping people being preyed upon by the suppliers, and most people would think that is a sensible way forward."