The Chief Constable of Northumbria Police, Crispian Strachan, yesterday told businesses across the region how they could prosper from the fight against crime.

Mr Strachan, the main speaker at the Crime Reduction Conference at the Stadium of Light, Sunderland, said that businesses held a pivotal position in local communities.

"Businesses are the life blood of communities here in the North-East, creating wealth, employing local people and providing goods and services for everyone's benefit," he said.

"Fraud, theft and other forms of crime can put all that at risk, and we must not allow that to happen."

The conference was organised by the Foresight North-East team at RTC North, which is raising awareness of emerging technologies and the likely developments in science, technology and society during the next 20 years.

Crime detection and prevention has been targeted as an area where developments will have a major impact.

Biometrics, sensor technologies, "smart" and encrypted materials will all contribute to the development of more secure IT systems, premises and processes.

As well as more secure on-line buying and banking services, new ID systems and improved DNA technologies will all contribute to cutting crime.