POLICE in County Durham could soon be getting back-up from community support officers.

The force is seeking Home Office funding to put 27 new-style law-enforcers into three of its divisions.

A team of ten community support officers has been pounding the beat in Darlington since January.

The officers wear a police-style navy blue uniform but are not fully trained police.

They can issue fixed penalty tickets for anti-social behaviour such as drunkeness, graffiti and littering.

The force sees them as providing valuable back-up, freeing-up regular officers to tackle more serious problems.

By the end of the month the force should know whether its plans have Government approval and funding.

The Darlington officers are fully-funded by the Home Office but this time round the Home Office will pay only half the costs for three years.

A report to the police authority meeting states that the force is bidding for £587,262 and has secured £647,551 from local partners.

Chief Constable Paul Garvin said nine of the posts would be filled by traffic wardens and the remainder by new recruits.

They would be deployed in the Derwentside, Durham and Chester-le-Street and Sedgefield divisions.