CRIMEFIGHTING community wardens in Darlington have taken delivery of a vehicle to help them get to troublespots quickly.

It is hoped the people carrier will help to reduce the number of anti-social and criminal incidents in the town by making the community wardens more mobile.

The vehicle will also be used to help patrolling police officers respond to incidents reported by members of the public.

During the school holidays, it will be used to transport members of the Youth Offending and Community Safety Service to parks and open spaces.

There it will be used as a base for council outreach workers, police and uniformed wardens to work with young people to encourage them to avoid criminal activity.

Councillor Bill Dixon, Darlington Borough Council's cabinet member for social services, said: "This vehicle will provide a speedy response to calls for help. It will carry uniformed wardens, police officers and equipment to trouble areas quickly and act as a base for them."

The bus has been bought for the council and the police with a £28,000 grant from the Government's Communities Against Drugs Fund.

Chief Superintendent Michael Banks, of Darlington police, said: "The presence of the vehicle on Darlington streets is further evidence of our collective commitment to increasing public reassurance and access to services. This vehicle will provide us with another tool to tackle issues of street safety."

The community warden team is one of four groups across the country who have special enforcement powers to ensure they can deal effectively with crime incidents.

The scheme was launched last year with just one person looking after the whole of the town, but quickly expanded.

There are now nine wardens conducting regular patrols in Darlington.

Although they do not have all the powers of police officers, their presence acts as a deterrent for criminals.

The warden scheme was adopted to increase the uniformed presence on the streets of Darlington, as well as to help to reduce the fear of crime in areas around the town.