POLICE in Darlington want to reignite interest in a confidential web site launched last year to snare drug dealers.

This year www.nettherat.org has received just three e-mails from the public with information about drug dealing activities in the town.

When the web site was launched last March it sparked a flurry of responses, leading to the seizure of £20,000 worth of drugs in its first week.

Sergeant Paul Robinson, from Darlington police's community safety unit, said interest in the site had dwindled, although there had been e-mails from as far afield as Maryland in America.

He said: "When the web site first got off the ground it went fairly well.

"We are still getting information through the site but a lot of it is now for outside the area. We always pass the information on to the relevant force."

Coun Bill Dixon, chairman of Dar*ington Drug and Alcohol Action team, said:"It's working really well and has resulted in a large number of arrests and has given the police information they would have either not had or would have taken many weeks to get.

"But the web site still needs to be kept in the public eye."

Net the Rat was originally part of the Rat on a Rat campaign, which has come to an end.

Sgt Robinson said: "We still want to give people the opportunity to give us information anonymously about drug dealers and they can do that on the web site.

"We know the web site works because of the drug hauls we had following information given to us last year.

"Sometimes the e-mails provide us with that little link that we need. But we wouldn't act just on the information in an e-mail; we'd always make sure there was supporting intelligence."

The site was set up by the Darlington Drug and Alcohol Action team and Durham police.

It is thought to be the first in the country set up just to receive information about suspected dealers. Informers can remain anonymous or leave an e-mail address.