JUNIOR crimefighter Nikki Blenkinsopp won the praise of the Home Secretary yesterday after becoming Britain's youngest Neighbourhood Watch leader.

Nikki, 12, has helped slash crime on the rundown estate where he lives.

The youngster endures the taunts of classmates and risks the wrath of local criminals as he wages a campaign to clean up the streets in Southwick, Sunderland.

He has helped catch criminals - including an arsonist who set fire to an empty house, and thieves who were breaking into cars near Sunderland Football Club's Stadium of Light.

Nikki is co-ordinator for three streets around his home and people who are too afraid to inform police themselves come to him to do it for them.

While his friends are out playing football, Nikki walks the streets with a notebook taking down details of any suspicious incidents he sees.

Working with his neighbours and the estate's beat bobbies, he has become the driving force behind a successful campaign to reduce crime on the estate.

He and his neighbour, Rosalind Copeland, arrange the Neighbourhood Watch meetings and Nikki recruits members by going from door to door.

His public-spirited attitude has won praise from the Home Office, police and Neighbourhood Watch chiefs.

Last week, he received a standing ovation from 200 police chiefs and council officials when he spoke at a conference of the Police Beat Managers scheme about the value of the Neighbourhood Watch.

Home Secretary David Blunkett said: "Local people have an important part to play in the fight against crime. It sounds as though Nikki is setting a very good example."

Nikki said: "It makes me really angry when I see someone trying to break into a car, steal from a shop or daub graffiti on property, because it ruins the community.

"Some of my mates say I'm a grass because I help the police by reporting crimes, but I don't care what they think.

"I'm just doing what's best for my neighbours, friends and family and I won't be put off."

Nikki lives with his grandmother Maureen Blenkinsopp, 60. She said: "Nikki has grown up with crime and vandalism all around him and he saw the misery it was causing.

"He is a caring kid and he just wants to do something to help."

Nikki dreams that one day he'll slap handcuffs on criminals for real - he wants to join the police force when he leaves school.