TOP-RANKING firefighters and specialist police crime-scene investigators are teaming up in a move to fight the growing menace of arson attacks in County Durham.

The number of suspicious fires investigated by police across County Durham and Darlington jumped by 20 per cent last year.

A total of 775 arson attacks were recorded between April 1999 to March 2000, compared to almost 650 in the previous 12 months.

The crackdown follows talks last month between Durham's Chief Constable George Hedges and fire and rescue boss George Herbert.

The meeting reinforced strong professional relationships between the emergency services, with a public pledge to tackle offenders by working together within newly-agreed guidelines.

Future areas of mutual interest will include all fatal fires; serious injury fires; property and vehicle fires where the cause is suspicious or deliberate; and fires started to cover up crime.

Now a dozen firefighters and a team of the force's scenes-of-crime-examiners (Socos) will swap roles later this year to fine-tune levels of cooperation between the services.

Senior firefighters will receive outline training as crime investigators while nine Socos, specialising in arson investigations, will don breathing apparatus to work in training areas at County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service headquarters in Framwellgate Moor.

Detective Superintendent Tom Ryan, one of Durham Police's senior investigating officers, said: "Socos receive considerable fire scene training before being called on to investigate a blaze.

"But this new venture will give them first-hand experience of exactly how firefighters' jets of water can dramatically alter a crime scene.

"At the same time, we hope to heighten the forensic awareness of fire officers by showing them the difficulties faced by police experts who have to begin sifting through the debris at the scene of a suspected crime."

Divisional Officer Stuart Guthrie said the services would share resources to catch and prosecute arsonists.

He said: "These courses are very positive steps in developing greater understanding of the roles and responsibilities of each service and will refine our appreciation of each others needs and requirements.

"Our hope is the end result will be an improved service and greater public protection.