MONEY recovered from drug dealers could be used to make parts of Darlington safer if a bid for £250,000 of Government grant aid is successful.

More security cameras and extra uniformed wardens are among the measures expected to be introduced in Darlington town centre and surrounding streets if the grant is approved.

The move by Darlington Borough Council follows the authority's success in two other bids for Government money to pay for closed-circuit television security cameras to cover the Northgate and colleges areas.

While those two schemes are the council's last from the Home Office Grants Scheme, the latest application for cash has been made to the Government's Recovered Assets Fund.

This fund uses ill-gotten gains of drug dealers, which have been recovered through the legal system, to help in the fight against crime.

It is believed one of the areas targeted will be the troubled Borough Road area, where Darlington police last night said they were increasing patrols.

This month, there have been 12 reported crimes in Borough Road.

The area has mostly been troubled by car criminals and vandals.

In addition to Borough Road, vehicles in neighbouring Brunswick Street, Melland Street, Sanderson Street and Middleton Street have been attacked and house windows have been broken.

A 12-year-old boy was forced to flee from three young thugs who threatened him and demanded money.

He fled from them, leaving his mountain bike behind in Borough Road.

Since the start of the month, there have been eight reported incidents of criminal damage, three thefts from vehicles including damage, and one of a car being damaged in a fire.

Of the latest bid for cash, which will cover two new wardens, Councillor Bill Dixon, the council's cabinet member for social services, said: "This new approach means that we can manage the whole environment to ensure community safety, so we are not just working in one area, but in a range of them.

"It means we can back up CCTV camera work with wardens and we can back up the wardens' work with cameras. We are confident this will bring even better results.