THE long arm of the law is stretching from Teesside to the US to help comfort the relatives of emergency services personnel killed in the terrorist attack on the World Trade Centre.

More than £11,000 was gathered through street collections in the Cleveland area and from officers and support staff in the force.

Officers who helped organise the fundraising are flying to New York today to hand over the cash.

They are also taking a range of police memorabilia to help restart the New York Police Department Museum, which was also destroyed in the attack.

PCs Alex Campbell, Zoe Cloughton and Nick Sutton, aided by Special Constable Mel Marshall, carried out the fundraising effort.

"It is something we felt we had to do. Street collections raised £6,500 and the rest came from an internal force collection," said PC Campbell.

"We hope that our contribution will help ease some of the hardships."