A NEW partnership between police and community safety officers is to clamp down on crime in Teesdale.

Durham County Council has teamed up with Teesdale District Council and Barnard Castle police to stamp out anti-social behaviour in the dale.

The initiative will also target criminals who travel from outside Teesdale to carry out burglaries and ram-raids.

Working closely with the local community, the partnership will also draw up plans to prevent youth crime, tackle drug abuse and reduce the fear of crime.

The county council is coordinating a task group on youth crime and anti-social behaviour and has already appointed a community safety officer for young people to link the work with a new youth offending team.

Judith Million, the county council's community safety co-ordinator, said: "Crime statistics show Teesdale is a very safe place to live, but there are concerns about certain types of criminal behaviour.

"Opportunist crime carried out by offenders travelling into the area reflects the rural nature of the district, and this is one of the issues we will be tackling."

The partnership follows a crime audit in Teesdale carried out in 1998, which also involved consulting with residents to identify their concerns.