CAR parks in the Hambleton district are among the safest in Britain.

Council staff are celebrating after five of the car parks were officially granted secure car park status by the Association of Chief Police Officers.

The council has now become one of only a few authorities to receive awards for a large number of car parks in a rural area.

The awards, which are administered by the British Parking Association, are given only to those car parks with high levels of safety and security for users.

Each has to meet a set of strict criteria including lighting, surveillance, signage and management practices.

And the Applegarth, Community Centre and Crosby Road car parks in Northallerton and the Millgate and Swimming Pool car parks in Thirsk have now been added to the list of holders.

"Secure car parks not only act as a deterrent for crime but take away the fear and perception of crime, especially for women and the less able members of society," said Hambleton councillor John Morley.

Chief Insp Tim Madgwick said: "This is a major achievement for Hambleton, recognising the importance of car crime reduction in the district.

"We now hope to see more of the council's car parks win the award as the number of closed circuit TV cameras in the district increases."