NORTHUMBRIA Police Authority has launched the first website in England and Wales allowing people to have their say on how their homes are policed.

The site, unveiled yesterday, carries information about the work of the authority, its members, and news and details of Police and Community Forum meetings. It also features an electronic survey form so residents can express their concerns, via their home computers. The information will then be studied to find-out which crimes are of most concern to communities.

Councillor George Gill, authority chairman, said: "We consult the public in a variety of ways, including public meetings, free telephone lines, regular surveys and leaflets.

"These will continue to be important, but this new website gives us another string to our bow.

"We hope it will also give us access to a younger public, a sector of the community who traditionally seem less inclined to offer their opinions through existing channels, but whose opinions about local crime are as important as anyone else's."

The survey will be in operation at least until Christmas.

The website can be found at www.northumbria-police-authority.org