A Darlington newcomer has accused police of complacency after his car was damaged three times in five months.

Stephen Pullinger, 39, who moved to the town from Canterbury, Kent, six months ago, found the side of his car had been scored with a sharp object last Friday.

Thieves stole his car radio in a previous incident, and four weeks ago the vehicle was broken into but nothing was taken.

Each time the car was parked outside his home in Stanhope Road South.

Mr Pullinger said: "On the second occasion there were three cars in the road affected, and one got driven away. I think the police are being very complacent".

He said that the officers who dealt with his complaints were courteous and helpful, but said: "What sort of town is Darlington? Have I just been unlucky in coming to a place with a lot of car crime?"

Inspector Ian Coates, of Darlington Police, said car crime hotspots tended to move from week to week.

He said: "We are aware of the problem, and at the moment there is a pro-active operation being run to target car crime and to identify the perpetrators and catch them doing it.

"It is flexible in its nature, so that we can respond almost on a daily basis to changes in those hotspots."