POLICE in Ferryhill are getting some help from an unlikely source when they launch a series of events promoting crime prevention.

Ferryhill crime prevention and community safety week starts on Monday and is being supported by Sedgefield Borough Council, Ferryhill Town Council and the Ferryhill and District Community Safety Panel.

The week is also being aided by offenders working their community service orders who will be putting together information packs. Working under the supervision of probation officers, the offenders will complete 6,000 packs containing crime prevention advice, which will be distributed to households.

The advice is to be backed up by a number of police initiatives designed to cut crime. The first is a relaunch of the highly successful School Watch scheme.

Burglaries and acts of criminal damage fell sharply as a result and police are hoping to maintain the trend. This year the scheme has been extended to cover Newton Aycliffe.

Bicycle marking sessions and crime prevention roadshows have also been organised and beat officers will be available on a one-to-one basis for residents who want advice.

Crime prevention officer for Sedgefield police, PC Peter Maddison, said the idea for the crime prevention week was an extension of the School Report scheme.

He said: "It's all about raising people's awareness, an awful lot of crime is easily preventable, and if everyone works together we can make a real impact on crime."

The full programme of events includes a crime prevention and community safety presentation at St Luke's church hall, Ferryhill, on Wednesday from 7pm. On Thursday, there will be a crime prevention caravan in Ferryhill Market Place between 10am and 4pm and a crime prevention presentation at Ferryhill Leisure Centre from 7pm.

PC Metcalfe will be holding a surgery at the police station between 9am and 3pm on Friday and a free bike marking session at the station will be held between 9am and 3pm on Sunday. Cyclists should bring proof of ownership.